Edge of Dreams
by mizu
Summary: when destiny is overturned by unexpected variables... covers the entire SM continuity! please read and review! ;)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko   
Takeuchi. We don't own it.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Edge of Dreams:  
Prologue  
by Namida   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
- A retelling of the beginning of days and the  
birth of the Silver Millennium as written in the   
Book of Hope   
  
As in all stories, there is a beginning   
and an end. As in all beginnings, there is light   
and dark; good and evil.   
  
Darkness enveloped the world as Chaos had   
commanded so long ago with destruction, misery,   
sorrow and death rampant. Youmas plagued the   
land as all creatures feared and ran from them.   
Such was not just confined to the Earth however   
as all of the solar system felt the reign and   
power of Chaos. So long had Chaos ruled over   
life that the people were beginning to lose   
hope. Hope, that better times would come but   
such a thing was only found in fairy tales and   
legends. Or was it?  
  
In a small village long forgotten, a dark   
cloud hovered for as long as it could be   
remembered, just as in every other village or   
city. Its mists encompassed all, leaving the   
village void of vibrant and rich life. Such was   
what Chaos had intended when he reached out and   
touched creation with his presence. To him, life   
was pitiful, a reminder of the only light and   
good in the universe, his opponent, enemy and   
antagonist. And so, by marking the world with   
his presence he sought not to destroy life but   
to crush it with despair and hate, making it his   
own to watch and possess.   
  
On one dark day, like so many others, the   
mists parted for one brief instant, the first   
time in an eternity, to reveal light as it shone   
through the black veil of darkness but just as   
quickly the mists shrouded the village once   
more. Yet, the diseases and trouble that had   
previously flooded the village were gone. In   
that moment, a baby's cry could be heard, to the   
normal ear, a shrill wail of despair, but to   
every villager it was a song of joy as they had   
been the first to witness a new beginning and   
feel the stuff that legends are made of; hope.   
  
In a small house at the center of the   
village, there lay a woman, pain stricken,   
having just given birth to her first daughter.   
So tired was she that when her daughter was born   
and gave her first cry that she thought that she   
had imagined a light shining through the dark   
clouds as bright as silver in the sky but when   
she blinked, all was dark again and she shrugged   
it off as a birthing pain. However, when the   
midwife gasped, the new mother struggled to rise   
and catch a glimpse of her new daughter. What   
she saw looking back at her were bright blue   
eyes as clear as crystal and to her amazement   
the little hairs on her head were not the   
standard dark of herself or her husband but   
silver in hue. For a second, the woman thought   
that she had seen a crescent moon shining on her   
daughter's forehead but just as with the light,  
when she blinked, it was gone. As the women   
watched her daughter, a new feeling erupted from   
her, and remembering a story so long ago that   
described what peace and hope were like; she   
named her daughter Serenity.   
  
From that day on, youmas and monsters   
alike did not so much as venture into the little   
village and the villagers rejoiced for they   
believed that all would be saved with the coming   
of Serenity. However, not all was right within   
the land for as soon as one stepped out of the   
boundaries of the little village, they would   
never be seen or heard from again. As the years   
passed, Serenity grew and all who knew her saw   
her as a light in the darkness. Since the   
village was free from youma torment, Serenity   
was blissfully unaware of the pain and torture   
that was reality. Thinking that there would be   
light and new life beyond the horizons of the   
little village, she ventured out not knowing   
that should she leave, she would never be able   
to return. For now, the mists that had so   
plagued the village, protected and obscured it   
from Chaos and the outside world. So hidden was   
it that none would be able to find it, even   
those who had dwelled there since the beginning   
of days.   
  
Now lost and alone, did Serenity realize   
the hopelessness of her situation. Where ever   
she went she was cast out and isolated for they   
believed that anyone who was not of their   
village was a threat. Even as the odds were   
against her, she continued to roam the land,   
surviving and believing that one day her   
suffering would end.   
  
Upon one day entering a valley, she saw a   
battle being raged below. Thousands of humans   
were being slaughtered by the seconds as youmas   
and monsters feasted in a great banquet of fear   
and hatred. As she looked upon the battle, she   
saw the hope diminish in humanity's eyes and for   
the first time, Serenity knew what sorrow was.   
So sad was she that she began to cry, longing to   
help those who suffered and with her first tear,   
white light erupted from her as the crescent moon   
that was envisioned at her birth shone forth   
with a light so pure. As the light dimmed, the   
battle that was being waged stopped and the   
youmas ran. In Serenity's hand there held a   
glowing crystal, the size of a child's heart and   
on that day she vowed that she would somehow   
find a way to stop the suffering that Chaos and   
his minions caused.   
  
With the new strength that coursed through  
her veins did Serenity seek to find the ones of   
rumor, born and shrouded in lore as her own   
birth was. For countless days did she search   
before she finally stumbled upon a village where   
it was said that years ago, heat emanated from   
the heart of the village where there was only   
ice and cold before. And in the heat of the   
moment, a cry could be heard as a child was   
born. When Serenity heard of this, she quickly   
ventured to the heart of the village, where she   
saw a girl with hair as red as fire. As the girl   
looked up, she saw a strange figure walking   
toward her, a feeling of hope filled her and   
upon her brow, a sigil glowed, the symbol of   
mars. She swore that from then on, would she   
take up the name Mars and fight along Serenity   
to defeat Chaos and end the cold darkness in the   
world.  
  
Together, did Serenity and Mars journey   
throughout the lands, finding others to help and   
aid them. Mercury, whose birth had stopped the   
drought caused by Chaos. Jupiter, whose life   
made the flowers and crops bloom into a   
bountiful harvest. With the start of Venus' life   
there was a flash of light erupting from the   
night sky, even as the earth opened up and a   
spring bubbled forth to announce the births of   
Uranus and Neptune. Amidst sounds of screaming   
and war was there silence as Saturn was introduced   
into the world, even as time seemed to stop at   
Pluto's coming.   
  
As one, did these 9 warriors set forth to   
do battle with Chaos, wielding the elements with   
the determination and strength necessary. Many   
battles were fought, and Serenity cried but   
finally, the light shone forth as the 8 others   
rediscovered inside themselves the hope that   
they were beginning to lose at the hands of   
Chaos. Trusting Serenity with all their dreams   
and wishes did they bring forth their power for   
her to command, banishing and binding Chaos to   
the darkness once more as was, in the beginning   
of time itself. And so with the binding of   
Chaos, did light shine forth wiping away the   
darkness just as the sun shines after the night.  
  
And so the Silver Millennium began. With   
Serenity as its ruler, each of the other   
warriors swore themselves to her protection.   
With this Serenity gave unto each, a symbol of   
their power as her protectors. To Mars, Mercury,   
Jupiter and Venus were given crystals of fire,   
water, growth and light symbolizing their bond   
to her as her protectors. To Uranus was a sword   
given, Neptune a mirror, Saturn a glaive and   
Pluto a staff. With these weapons were they able   
to protect the solar system from outside   
intruders, ensuring that peace would stay should   
Chaos choose one day to return.   
  
An alliance was made between all the   
planets, and the start of a new era began.   
Serenity's reign lasted for a millennia and unto   
each generation were there born Senshi, wielding   
the elements of their successors to protect   
Serenity's heirs. In doing so, the rule of the   
Silver Millennium's peace and harmony was   
ensured.   
  
And as in all stories, there is a   
beginning and end. A beginning of the way things   
were meant to be and were. For now, there is no   
end as life still moves on, for we are only in   
the middle as an even greater story begins to   
enfold.   
  
***  
  
Namida: Ok, I know that was quite...odd but I   
hope you liked it. It was meant to be the   
historical retelling of how Serenity came into   
power. One of those stories where you can either   
believe things like that happened or not. Its up   
to you. Don't be confused, the rest of the story   
follows more in the way of "traditional"   
fanfiction. ;D  
  
Doumo. Ja ne!  
~Namida~  
  
==========================  
For general questions, comments   
for BOTH authors:  
e-mail: mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com  
  
For my co-author Mizu:  
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami   
  
For Namida:  
e-mail: senshi_pluto@crystal-tokyo.com  
===========================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi.   
We don't own it.  
  
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami  
  
EDGE OF DREAMS~BOOK I: Voiceless Song  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Dim light unveils the dreary past,  
History faded, forgotten through parched lips,  
Onto the dark marble stone it is cast,  
In an unknown language, unspeakable as time slips…  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Edge of Dreams:  
Chapter 1: Requiem  
by: mizu  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*flashback*  
  
In a poor area of the town, laid a small   
child, no more than eight. Her lithe form was   
curled up in a fetal position on the cold stone   
floors. Water from an overhanging gutter dripped   
down mercilessly, falling in great fat raindrops   
upon her dark head, dribbling down her innocent,   
youthful face and down the small of her body. It   
finally ended it's journey at the shallow puddle   
that she sat beside.   
  
She shifted, head bent down as if in shame.   
She was reluctant to look up, reluctant to face the   
horrors of the world about her. Her long dark hair   
extended down to her back, tangled and unkempt. It   
was matted against her cream white skin. She   
donned a rough canvas tunic, much too big for a   
child of her size. Her thin, sickly little arms   
thrust out of the large holes, dirty with years of   
accumulated filth. The tunic hung about her as if   
she had suddenly shrank. Although, that wasn't the   
case. This haggard child was a child in poverty,   
the most pitiful rank in society that anyone could   
imagine. On this cold and bleak world, no one   
cared for children. Their loss was due to their   
own folly, and those unfortunate children knew it.  
  
"Eva?" A small voice called. Alert and   
aware of all her surroundings, the child looked up.   
Her eyes unveiled a pair of dark violet depths,   
hardened by the torturous events in the meager   
eight years of her life. They revealed nothing but   
the bleakness and fears in the world. Something   
that had caused her to mature rapidly, without   
question.   
  
"Eva? Are you Eva?" The voice came again.   
Before her were two robed pupils, their faces   
peaking slightly out of their thick cowls.   
Although their presence was looming, the child was   
not intimidated or ruffled in the least.   
  
"What is it to you?" She spat out, voice far   
too bitter for her to muster for others at her age.   
  
"Ah, you are Eva, aren't you?" The voice   
grew louder. Slowly, the thick woolen material   
between the two figures parted and a cinnamon-eyed   
cat wandered in. It was well groomed dark-furred   
cat. An overpowering spicy scent came to her nose.   
  
Must be one of *those* cats, the child   
thought, thinking of the time that she had   
overheard the conversations in the nearby tavern.   
The drunkards were busy gossiping at that time.   
However, between the loud jeering and tankards   
clashing, she could make out their speech rather   
clearly. They seemed to be talking about some   
species of feline that could speak that were   
recruited by the royal family in the Lunarian   
kingdom. She supposed that is cinnamon-eyed cat   
was one of their species.   
  
"Eva," the cat spoke, in it's own catlike   
manner. "You match the description. It is you,"   
confirmed the cat in a chiming voice. The cat   
moved forward, paws padding lightly on the wet   
ground. It stepped into whatever murky light that   
filtered through into the alley way.   
  
Eva, the child, gasped. Upon the forehead of   
the feline was a golden crescent moon. It gleamed   
in the meager light, almost as if representing a   
sort of warmth that Eva had forgotten about as a   
young child. Almost like a maternal warmth,   
interlaced with hope and honor. She searched her   
memory for the proper word to describe it.   
  
She had been in an orphanage before. Before   
the caretaker passed away and left her on the   
streets, she was properly taught how to read. She   
excelled in her studies, more so than the other   
children who preferred to play or steal rather than   
work. She had a wide range of vocabulary, since   
her instant maturity demanded that she did so.   
  
Then the word came to her, one that she   
hardly used or heard.  
  
"Serenity," she spoke softly, traces of anger   
diminishing from her voice for just that one   
moment. She stared into the cat's reddish eyes.  
  
She bowed her head. Suddenly, a flash of   
light and searing heat engulfed her.   
  
Moments later, she was back in her corner,   
sitting in rags. She raised her head ever so   
slightly, with an occupied look on her face.   
  
On her forehead, a sigil flickered   
vibrantly. It was the glowing, the red sigil of  
the next Senshi of Mars.   
  
***  
  
"My queen," the feline bowed gracefully,   
bracing itself with a pink-padded paw. The cat was   
a downy white color and bore a pair of magnificent   
ocean blue eyes.   
  
"Yes Artemis?" The tall woman answered.   
They were in her white-washed dressing room.   
  
"We've found two more of the Senshi," the   
male cat announced, watching as servants scurried   
around, cleaning the chamber.  
  
"Wonderful Artemis!" She lifted her hand to   
receive ties from a nearby servant. Skillfully,   
out of routine, she fixed up her silver tresses in   
two odangos, in the traditional royal fashion. She   
glanced into the mirror to check for loose strands   
before turning to her cat advisor. She bore the   
same resemblance that every Queen Serenity did   
before her. "Which ones?" She asked, running to   
the overgrown desk by the bay windows for a quill.   
  
"The Senshi of Mercury and the Senshi of   
Venus successors," Artemis said proudly. It had   
taken him months of traveling just to locate two   
girls at the tender age of eight.   
  
"Mercury and Venus," Serenity muttered, as   
she pulled out her quill and began to mentally   
check off her Senshi search checklist. "So, we   
have our leader now. Commander Venus. Very well   
done, Artemis," the queen complimented with an   
approving tone in her voice. Artemis couldn't do   
anything but to smile a cat-like smile.   
  
"What are their names?" The queen looked at   
her advisor questioningly.   
  
"The Senshi Mercury's given name is   
Constance. Her family is pretty well off. Her   
father owns a shop on the coast of the Mercurian   
seas."  
  
"Was it a nice place there, Artemis?" The   
queen asked amused.   
  
"Well, lot's of fish there…lot's of   
glittering, fresh fish," Artemis answered coyly,   
the feline smile on his furry face growing wider   
dreamily. The queen couldn't help but laugh.   
  
"And the Senshi Venus?" The queen placed on   
two modest-looking earrings on.   
  
"Venus was found on a farm, not far from the   
town of Acropolis. She is a bright one. A very   
sunny attitude. She resides in a small cozy   
cottage with a sizable peach orchard in the back."  
  
"Peach orchard?"   
  
"Yes, your majesty. You remember how famous   
Venusian peaches are."  
  
"Yes, we've only engaged in planetary trade   
with them for the last ten years or so. Venusian   
peach pie was always one of my favorite dishes."   
The queen paused. "What of the others?" She   
inquired, gazing at Artemis regally.   
  
"I received a message from Luna that she   
found the new Senshi of Mars."  
  
"Really?" The queen arched a perfectly   
curved eyebrow. "Where?"   
  
"In of the outer territories of the Mars.   
The Phoboes system, I believe."  
  
"The Phoboes system? That's not ranked as   
one of the most hospitable places in the world.   
She was all right, I gather?" The queen hoped,   
concern etching onto her fine, porcelain face.   
  
"In fact, Luna reported that she found the   
poor dear in a deserted alley, in one of the   
rougher parts of the galaxy. The poor child was   
soaked to the bone."   
  
"No parents?"   
  
Artemis shook his head. "Luna didn't find   
any. She seemed alone."  
  
"The poor dear!" The queen gasped, running   
back to her overgrown desk. "Arrange for her to   
come here immediately!" She found some parchment   
and quickly scribbled orders. Reviewing the fine   
silver script once more, she folded it twice,   
sealing it with silver wax, ribbon and stamp. She   
handed it to one of the footmen that had initially   
accompanied Artemis to her chambers.   
  
"Give it to the guards on the dock ports.   
They'll arrange for a quick flight to the Phoboes   
system and make sure that the poor girl is properly   
cared for and brought her immediately. I don't   
want her to travel with Luna to the other planets   
to find the Senshi Jupiter. There's no use for her   
to take upon a weary trip like that." She pursed   
her lips determined and regal.   
  
"You wish is my command," Artemis mocked   
friendly, bowing deeply for extra measure.   
  
The queen smiled goodheartedly. Artemis was   
one of her dearest friends as well as her advisor.   
He could be a little excessive sometimes. However,   
she knew that he could always make her smile.   
  
"Join Luna in the search if need be," the   
queen suggested. Artemis sincerely nodded once and   
left out the doorway, his two footmen trailing   
behind him in their thick, woolen cloaks.   
  
***  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Luna ran about, trying   
to catch the attention of the store clerk. The   
woman stared at Luna as she pounced on the counter   
silently.   
  
"Yes, how can I help you?" The woman was in   
her mid-fifties, gray streaking her once reddish   
hair. She placed on her spectacles to get a better   
look. "Oh, what a pretty cat," she commented with   
a slight, lilting accent.   
  
"Thank you," Luna answered, blushing   
slightly. The woman gaped at her. After a few,   
long moments, she regained her wits and smiled a   
little nervously.  
  
"Yer' one of those talking cats, right? The   
ones in the Lunar kingdoms?" She asked cautiously.   
She gazed at Luna, squinting.   
  
"Yes, I am," Luna answered straightforwardly.   
  
"Weel, what brings you here?"   
  
Luna hesitated to clear her throat. Perhaps   
the tuna lunch wasn't *that* fresh. "Well, I was   
wondering if you've ever encountered a girl with   
brown hair, green eyes? She should be about eight   
years old now," Luna said, pulling out a general   
description of her.   
  
"Hmm…I'm not sure…but now that you mention   
it, I think there's a girl matchin' yer'   
description. Her name be Ceres'. A lively lass   
she is…always fightin', that lil' sprite." The   
woman seemed to trail off into her own little   
world. "She lives by the river, close to town."  
  
"Really? Are you sure she's the person that   
fits the description?"   
  
"Hmm…I think so…"  
  
Luna nodded apprehending.   
  
"You know what?"  
  
"Hm?"   
  
The woman leaned forward to the cat as if   
passing on a secret to Luna.   
  
"There's a story behind that lass," the woman   
whispered loudly into Luna's ear. "It was rumored   
that when she was born, it was the dead of winter.   
Her' mother was given' birth to her and all…"  
  
Luna nodded briefly, muttering another mmm-  
hmm.   
  
"The land was barren and all. But when the   
first cries of the lil' infant sounded in the small   
ol' house, it was said that these beautiful vines   
grew. They gathered by the windows, climbed up the   
stone walls, ran across the ceilings and floor. It   
was like they were meetin' her. And when the   
infant smiled for the first time, the vines came   
into full bloom! This fragrant scent spread all   
over the house and all!" The woman smiled   
appraisingly.   
  
Luna smiled, finally receiving the   
confirmation that she had needed. Soon, the store   
bell rang and the creaking door swung open.  
  
"That must be the lil' Ceres now." The woman   
clutched her folded hands to her chest.   
  
A little girl of eight walked in, a worn,   
woven basket slung over one shoulder. She looked   
like a tomboy and her brunette curls were tangled   
about her mischievous little face. She tried to   
make herself presentable to the woman by   
straightening her already crumpled skirt. Seeing   
that it was impossible, she shrugged and carried on   
into the store.   
  
"Ceres," Luna called gently. Immediately,   
the girl turned to the cat questioningly.   
  
"Yes?" She asked in a slightly quizzical   
voice. An expression of inquiry spread upon her   
face.   
  
"Nice to meet you, Senshi of Jupiter," Luna   
greeted cordially. The newest Senshi gaped at   
Luna, many questions forming in her mind.   
  
***  
  
Four grim-faced children stood obediently in   
a row, their hands folded in front of them to   
prevent them from getting any mischievous ideas.   
In front of them paced a tall woman, her long   
silver hair was tied up in the oddest fashion.   
Behind her were two cats, one white and one dark,   
which the four girls recognized to be Luna and   
Artemis, as mentioned beforehand. To them, they   
were their discoverers or in some cases, even   
heroes. Although, none of them viewed the   
situation that way.   
  
"Welcome to the moon kingdom," The tall woman   
greeted, a broad smile appearing on her face. Her   
eyes were alight with a sort of everlasting cheer   
and she seemed to radiate with a certain peace.   
  
Ceres stepped forward, being the impetuous   
one. She bobbed once in curtsey, her combed brown   
curls following her with a bounce. The two cat   
advisors had already informed them that they'd meet   
the queen today.   
  
"Yes dear?" The queen asked kindly. Senshi   
successors at this age always looked so kawaii!   
Well, that is, almost all of them did. She eyed   
the girl in the red velvet dress critically. She   
had bathed and her long dark hair was combed neatly   
to cascade down her back. Occasionally, she would   
fidget now and then, as if the new, alien clothes   
that she wore were confining. She had this   
perpetual gloom about her.  
  
We're going to have to fix that, the queen   
thought momentarily. She was going to test if that   
perpetual gloom was permanent and take measures to   
erase it.   
  
"Umm…" stammered Ceres, realizing that she   
was in the presence of high royalty. "What are we   
here for?"   
  
The queen laughed musically, putting a   
slender hand on the girl's head. "My little   
sprites, you are here for training."  
  
"Training?" They all said in unison,   
everyone save Eva.  
  
"Yes. You see, every generation in the   
Serenity line has a group of protectors called the   
sailor Senshi."   
  
"Senshi? Oh I've heard of them before!   
They're those beautiful women who fight for   
justice?" Chirped in a cheerful blond, Vestia,   
future Senshi of Venus.  
  
The queen stared for a moment, then laughed   
again nevertheless. "Yes, Vestia, that's the   
idea."   
  
Vestia smiled in achievement, her hands   
gripping onto her orange skirt. These children   
were a joy!  
  
"So…are we here to protect you, your   
majesty?" Ceres asked, rolling the word "majesty"   
in her mouth, as if already getting used to the   
idea. The queen gave them another luminous smile.  
  
"No, no, dear. I already have Senshi."  
  
Ceres frowned. "Then what are we here for?"  
  
"You are here to protect someone else," the   
queen replied, pointing to each and every one of   
them. She turned to a nearby servant. "Tell her   
to bring her in please," the queen ordered quietly.   
The four girls stood there, baffled.   
  
Moments later, another tall woman with   
cerulean-colored hair walked in. She wore a long   
ceremonial cloak of velvet. In some angles, there   
seemed to be aqua streaks in her hair. In one   
hand, she held a small mirror by it's handle. She   
looked like she was young, however, her aquamarine   
eyes seemed to hold so much knowledge and wisdom   
that only came with age.   
  
The servants paused in what they were doing   
and nodded briefly to the woman who strode in   
purposefully into the chambers.   
  
"Lady Neptune," they all muttered softly   
before returning to their duties.   
  
"Thank you Corin," Serenity replied. Corin   
nodded.  
  
"And are these the successors mentioned in   
Pluto's prophecy?" She replied, staring at each of   
them. Serenity nodded.   
  
"This is the Senshi of Neptune," introduced   
Serenity, putting a fond hand on her friend's arm.   
"How's is he?" Serenity turned to Neptune, the   
elder, a hint of mischief in her chiming voice.   
  
"Him? Oh, he's fine." A slight blush   
appeared on Neptune's ivory cheeks. "We're trying   
to build a little house off the coast since I can   
finally retire." She grinned with almost a   
childish look about her face.   
  
Ceres and Vestia looked at the two adults   
blankly, as if they had forgotten that they were   
there.   
  
"Your majesty?" Constance, who seemed to be   
the quiet, book type spoke aloud, trying to get the   
attention of the two adults. She brushed a   
stubborn stray lock of blue hair behind her ear.   
  
"Yes?" The queen answered, returning her   
attention to the girls.  
  
"Are we supposed to protect her?" Vestia   
asked cautiously, turning her head to Lady Neptune.   
  
The two adults burst out laughing merrily and   
Vestia stepped back, abashed.   
  
"Dear child, no. The one you're going to   
protect is this little one here." Serenity   
motioned at her side. Neptune's long velvet cloak   
began to rustle slightly.   
  
"Come along dear, it's all right," the queen   
coaxed at a hidden figure.   
  
"Don't worry, they won't hurt you." Neptune   
looked downwards at her cloak and motioned behind   
her.   
  
Slowly and very hesitantly, a little creature   
popped out behind the long robes. Her small hands   
clutched at the velvety cloaks shyly. Her hair was   
tied up much like the queen's, however, they were   
much shorter and tended to bounce around whenever   
she moved. The little stray hairs curled up into   
tiny ringlets about her small, round face. Two   
sapphire eyes peered at the other girls curiously.   
  
"Come out, little princess," Neptune coaxed,   
taking her hand and leading her out in front of   
her. Meekly, the little blond girl stepped out.   
  
"Hello," she said, giving them a nervous   
little smile.   
  
"This is Princess Serenity, my daughter," the   
queen introduced.   
Each one of the girls bobbed and curtseyed in turn.  
  
"Vestia," the Venus successor curtseyed,   
introducing herself.  
  
"Ceres."  
  
"Constance."  
  
Finally, very hesitantly, the very serious,   
black-colored hair girl curtseyed wobbly.   
  
"Eva."  
  
Following what etiquette had dictated to her   
since she was born,   
the little Princess curtseyed in turn.   
  
"Serenity."   
  
The girls started to crowd about the   
princess, all save Eva.   
  
"Are you really a princess?" Vestia asked   
cheerfully.   
  
"Can I be your friend?" Ceres asked.   
Constance simply smiled brightly at the little   
princess.   
  
The princess stood there, nodding and shaking   
her head as she was bombarded with many questions.   
  
Finally, she smiled. "You can all be my   
friends," she said with a tone of finality. She   
turned to Eva, who was still fidgeting in her   
clothes. Taking a few steps toward her, she   
outstretched her arms to her. Eva paused and   
looked up at her with blank eyes.   
  
"Will you be my soldier?"  
  
Eva stared at her.  
  
"Will you protect me?"   
  
Silence.  
  
"Will you be my friend?" The princess asked   
softly.  
  
Eva hesitated for a moment. Then gave the   
little blond with the odangos in her hair a single,   
curt nod. With that, she fell into group hug,   
surrounded by the rest of the girls and the   
princess.   
  
"Friends forever and ever," the princess   
murmured, hugging her newfound friends.   
  
***  
(ten years later…)  
  
"Fire Soul!" Mar cried. A long stream of   
red flames burst from her gloved fingertips as she   
concentrated on keeping the fire at a constant,   
intense temperature. The fire crashed into the dry   
wood and grass, immediately lighting them on fire.   
Beads of sweat began to roll down her face as she   
tried to concentrate on the temperature level of   
the well-controlled fire. It was a form of   
meditation to promote discipline.   
  
"That's it Eva, you're doing just fine,"   
muttered Ceres.   
  
"How long am I supposed to be at this?" Eva   
cried beginning to tire. Using the fire soul   
attack was one thing, controlling it to keep it at   
a constant temperature was another. Something that   
only an experienced Senshi of Mars could do in   
their golden ages. However, since they were all   
retired or passed on, that left her the sole Senshi   
of Mars in the Lunar kingdoms.   
  
Vestia walked by, in her usual afternoon   
stroll. Just as she was about to pass by her two   
fellow Senshi, she paused to see if they would need   
any help. She crept by closer to see what kind of   
attacks they were working on.  
  
She paused and gaped blankly at the scene   
before her.   
  
Ceres was stirring a large metal pot over a   
bonfire. The flames were controlled, courtesy of   
Eva. Vestia sweatdropped.   
  
"Of all the uses for your powers! Cooking!"   
Vestia sighed, resigned.  
  
"This is our dinner, mind you," Ceres   
retorted, returning to her stirring.  
  
"Dinner?" Vestia asked incredulously.   
Gaping at the bubbling contents in the pot. She   
had to admit, it did smell appetizing.   
  
"Well, if you don't approve of Eva using her   
powers for cooking—"  
  
"No, it's not that," interrupted their   
commander mildly.   
  
"Maybe electrocuted chicken next week…"  
  
Vestia cringed slightly. "I like my meat   
white, not dark. You can munch on the crisp burned   
parts."   
  
"Oh come now, Vestia, it's exploring the   
different applications we can use our powers for."   
Ceres smiled impishly, fully alert of how her stew   
was faring. She picked up some spices and threw   
them into the steaming pot.   
  
"Creativity becomes you," Vestia said dryly.   
She sniffed briefly, a fragrant aroma coming out of   
the pot. "Is that vegetable stew?" She asked   
cautiously.  
  
Ceres nodded. "I added some extra spices   
into it! I'm hoping that it'll strengthen the   
flavor."   
  
Vestia grinned broadly. "Can I try some?"   
  
"Why?" Ceres asked. Her eyes flattened as   
if she had suddenly became protective over her   
creation. "You'll get some for dinner."   
  
Vestia slumped, dragging her feet away toward   
the direction of the orchard groves.   
  
"Fine, see if I ever let you try *my*   
cooking," she muttered.   
  
"But you can't even cook!" Protested Ceres,   
hearing her comment.   
  
Vestia glared at her menacingly. "That's   
besides the point!"   
  
Ceres couldn't help but laugh. However, the   
straining Senshi of Mars snapped her out of her   
humor.   
  
"Can I stop yet?" She asked, showing signs   
of fatigue. Ceres checked her stew, then turned to   
Eva and nodded. Eva parted her fingers,   
extinguishing the flame. She took the kerchief   
that Ceres handed to her and began to wipe the   
moisture that had gathered upon her brow.   
  
"I'm off to change," she announced, still in   
Senshi mode. She strode off toward the living   
quarters.   
  
"Now can I try?" Vestia asked with a bright   
smile. Ceres looked at her flatly again.   
  
"Oh, all right," she replied with a tone of   
resignation. "But just a little!" She plunged the   
wooden spoon into the pot and retrieved a spoonful   
of stew. Vestia squealed in delight, grabbing the   
spoon with a quick "thank you". She had a liking   
for Ceres' quality cooking.  
  
"Vestia?"   
  
"Yeah?" Vestia devoured all the contents on   
the spoon, savoring the spicy taste.   
  
"Do you know where Serenity is?" Ceres   
questioned, concerned. Her duty was to protect her   
princess and since she made that promise when she   
was just a child, she was not intent on breaking   
that promise. Sure, the duty is remove her from   
her parents, but they were proud of her for being   
chosen and wished the best for her.   
  
"Umm…I think she's with the Lunarian   
delegation to earth. She's supposed to be back   
later this afternoon. I wouldn't worry. I think   
the queen is with her too," replied Vestia, content   
with the small, tasty morsel of food that Ceres   
gave her. She couldn't wait until dinner.  
  
"Is she? Oh…" Ceres responded thoughtfully.   
  
"Well, you remember the whole situation on   
earth?"   
  
Ceres shook her head. Vestia sighed.  
  
"Well, I see *someone* hasn't been listening   
to the politics tutor…" Vestia reprimanded   
mockingly. "Don't worry. Personally, I think he's   
an old bore."  
  
Both of them fell into heaps of joyful   
laughter. However, Ceres' commander began to take   
on a more serious tone.   
  
"All the planets and their territories in   
this system are bound to an ancient alliance made   
by Serenity the I. This whole thing brought in the   
silver millennium—which is basically still going."   
  
Ceres nodded, comprehending the situation.   
She absentmindedly placed a cover on the pot which   
hung above a few glowing cinders.   
  
"Earth was one of the reluctant ones. They   
didn't like outside intervention very much but they   
accepted it, nevertheless. Very adaptable, those   
people are," murmured Vestia. She continued on   
with her history lecture.   
  
"The thing is, a few years ago, the king and   
queen died mysteriously on a trip was it? or was   
it something else?" Vestia paused to regain her   
memory. "Ah, I remember. Well, they found little   
evidence and that evidence pointed to outside   
intervention. The Terrans were a little edgy about   
this and offended, to say the least. They're nice   
people, it's just that they don't trust people   
outside the Terran boundaries like they used to.   
They're pretty self-sufficient. They are a   
productive race…"  
  
"Oh…I see," Ceres conceded, deep in thought.   
She rose her head in question. "Then who has the   
throne now?"  
  
"Even though king and queen died, they did   
leave an heir. Prince Endymion, I believe.   
However, he was only at the tender age of ten when   
this whole controversy occurred. So his next   
immediate family took him in and became the ruling   
regents until he came of age to take the throne. I   
think it was his mother's sister and her husband?"   
Vestia wondered aloud, unsure of herself.   
  
"The poor boy…" Ceres remarked   
sympathetically.   
  
"From what I've heard, he's not your typical   
little boy," Vestia commented.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well first of all, the crown prince older   
than us. He's approaching the age when he's going   
to be crowned king. Secondly, he's always so   
distant. Unkind even—according to the court ladies   
that have gone there. Then again, those ladies   
have nothing but fluff in their brains, hungry for   
every handsome man that walks past them. But it's   
understandable if he's a little harsh, considering   
his situation and all."   
  
"You're right. Frankly, he sounds rather   
courageous to take on responsibility like this.   
And those ladies can't talk about anything other   
than their dreaded fashion silks and taffetas and   
satins. That and their heavy baubles!" Ceres   
announced, determination growing in her voice.   
  
"Although, from what I've heard, he is a   
family type of sort. He already lost the most   
important members of his family and highly values   
whoever is still left."  
  
"A tragic tale indeed…" Mused Ceres.   
  
They both remained in silence for a moment,   
as if paying tribute to the unacquainted prince.   
Ending the moments of silence, a sly smile made   
it's way to Vestia's soft features. She crept   
closer to Ceres as she was dousing the remains of   
the glowing coals with white sand.  
  
The fine grain Lunarian sand extinguished   
what was left of the fire that Mars had created.   
Only a few strands of pungent smoke trailed up in   
between the crevices that the sand fell the coals.   
  
"We're going to have to pick her up later,"   
Vestia commented, walking with Ceres.  
  
Ceres nodded, the pot squeaking slightly. It   
swayed back and forth on the thin wire which it   
hung from. Together, they walked toward the   
kitchen under the early afternoon sun.  
  
***  
  
Evening had descended upon the glorious moon   
kingdoms. The stars twinkled above as if in   
greeting of the early evening, as the night birds   
native to the Lunarian culture began to sing their   
melancholic, eerie tunes. The moon itself seemed   
to give off this strange, ancient luminescence that   
lighted the entire palace with a familiar,   
comforting glow. It seemed as if the entire city,   
alight in the darkness seemed to be caused by a   
magical phenomenon.   
  
One person sat on a stone bench in a balcony,   
overlooking the silver gardens. Her face was   
radiant in the natural night light. Her hair fell   
cascaded down her lithe figure in twin streams,   
resembling two twin waterfalls of golden silk.   
They pooled on either side beneath her, next to the   
bench.   
  
She stared wistfully at the planet before   
her, tracing out the white cotton clouds   
surrounding the planet. With unblinking eyes, she   
began to trace out constellations that Constance   
taught her. Eventually, she returned her dreamy   
gaze back to the blue globe that hung in the sky.   
She had just recently arrived from a trip from   
there. Everything there seemed so bright. It did   
lack the luminescence and the natural silvery   
landscapes that the moon had, however, they   
compensated for that. Everything there was just so   
vibrant, so *green*. The planet was full of life,   
from the productive citizens that inhabited there   
to the simple flora and fauna that thrived there.   
  
"Quiet night, isn't it?" A voice said,   
disrupting Princess Serenity's tranquil thoughts.   
Eva came from behind and seated herself beside the   
princess.   
  
Serenity only nodded wistfully, eyes   
remaining on the blue globe in the sky.   
  
"I take it that your trip to earth was   
enjoyable, my liege?" Eva asked cordially, turning   
to the dreaming blond heir to the Lunarian throne.   
  
Serenity turned, a playful smile on her face.   
  
"You can drop the formality, Eva. You know   
the Senshi don't have to address me by royalty when   
others aren't around," Serenity mentioned. She   
tilted her head sideways, staring at one of her   
best friends. "What do you see when you look out   
there at that globe hanging up there?" She asked,   
just for the sake of satisfying her curiosity.   
  
"Well, I know Vestia would say that it looked   
like a large gem in the sky. Ceres would probably   
say it'd look like some kind of fruit—"  
  
Serenity giggled. "That's Ceres for you.   
Always some sort of food. Well, either that or   
something heavily romanticized. Like the color of   
a man she dated previously or something of the   
sort."  
  
Eva grimaced slightly. "I know that   
Constance would say that it was a planet, one   
teeming with life." She frowned, thinking. "Then   
she'd probably give us all these scientific facts   
and spurt out information like an encyclopedia…"   
Eva paused. "But she could get poetic about it if   
she wanted to though."   
  
The princess nodded in agreement. She turned   
to Eva again. "But you haven't told me what that   
planet is to *you*." She was getting more   
inquisitive by the moment. Eva felt that she   
couldn't escape the question and that her only   
escape was to answer it. She inhaled deeply and   
stared at the globe for a goodly amount of time.   
Finally, without leaving her eyes off the planet in   
the sky, she spoke.   
  
"I see a planet. A planet filled with   
despair, sadness and war," Eva observed, in an icy   
voice. Serenity frowned. However, she was hushed   
when Eva continued on with her examination.   
  
"However, I also see more than that." Eva's   
violet depths softened a little, lowering the heavy   
defenses. "I also see a prosperous planet. One   
filled with hope, happiness and love." She   
scratched her head. "I guess it is possible for   
people to see the good in others."   
  
"Including you," Serenity remarked friendly.   
"You remember when you first came?" Eva nodded.   
"You were the most difficult person to work with.   
You were such a cynic!" Eva could feel her face go   
red.   
  
"Ah, but that was because I didn't meet you!"   
She answered, laughing. She stopped and took on a   
more serious tone. "But, really, Serenity. Thank   
you."   
  
Serenity paused and bounced back, baffled.   
"Why?" She managed to squeak out. "I did   
nothing."   
  
"But you did," Eva countered.   
  
"What did I do?"   
  
"You did the most important thing to me that   
would change me for the rest of my life." Eva   
smiled at Serenity. Serenity could only stare at   
her in bewilderment.   
  
"You were there when I needed people most.   
You and the rest of the Senshi. You put a purpose   
in my life, to protect your well being. But most   
importantly, you became my friend."   
  
***  
  
Constance sat in the queen's room, installing   
new programming into the main system's computer.   
She had to admit, this was one of her hobbies,   
other than reading and chess. When needed, she   
could be a great military general.   
  
Turning her blue head, she reached over to   
the other console where decanter of water and a   
glass stood. Well, she knew that she shouldn't of   
placed it there, however, the systems room was low   
on space. She wasn't careless enough as to spill   
the contents.   
  
As she was pouring the liquid into the   
crystal glass, a blinking light caught her cerulean   
blue eyes. She paused in her task, placing down   
the glass and decanter on the console carefully.   
She abruptly went over to the other console.   
Perhaps there was a malfunction, she thought.   
These random incidents would happen now and then.   
  
She began typing out access codes until   
finally, a list of statistics appeared before her   
on the screen. Her eyes widened and the glasses   
that she wore slipped off her nose. Quickly   
punching in a few commands, she managed to get a   
hard copy of the statistics and left for the throne   
room, where the queen entertaining some guests.   
  
Knocking impatiently on the closed doors, a   
servant finally granted her access in after a few,   
abrupt words. She strode in purposefully,   
apologizing to the queen for the informalities.   
The queen caught the idea that the situation was   
important and dismissed her guests until a later   
time.  
  
"Constance? What's wrong?" She asked,   
concern filling her normally cheerful voice.   
  
"My queen, my apologies, but, this just   
appeared on the sensors." Constance pointed to the   
list in front of her. "These readings can't be   
correct. If they are what I think they are…" Her   
voice trailed off, leaving the rest to the queen's   
imagination.   
  
"It's a reading of dark energy. Primitive   
albeit, but it had that distinct signature. It's   
very weak. Only a small strand…"   
  
"Perhaps it could be mixed interference from   
the passing comet?" Constance suggested   
optimistically. True, the chances of it being a   
negative energy strand were slim, however, they   
wanted to take the proper precautions.   
  
The queen thought for a moment, her smooth   
brow furrowed. "Take this to the analytic research   
department. They'll take this information apart   
and scan the sector a few times as well, just to   
make sure."   
  
Constance nodded, heading straight for the   
Lunarian science departments on the other side of   
the capital city, leaving the queen deep in   
thought. If needed, she would begin to dispatch   
messengers to neighboring planets. However, she   
hoped that she wouldn't have to.  
  
***  
  
On the blue, life-filled planet of earth, a   
dark-haired crown prince strode down the long   
corridors of his palace.   
  
"Of all the places for a conversation, it   
*has* to be on the other side of the estate…" He   
muttered under his breath. He had been riding this   
morning, attempting to tame an unruly horse. The   
horse was named "Stormlight", however, it's name   
came to be a giant understatement to it's temper.   
Prince Endymion was still trying to nurse fresh   
bruises from the morning's session with the foul   
tempered horse. He was determined to tame the   
horse. It was something to do other than to attend   
diplomatic meetings from other planets. Those   
delegates were old bores that droned continuously   
on and on. At the least, making him fall asleep.   
  
He finally reached the carved mahogany doors   
where the footman announced him in.   
  
"Good afternoon," he greeted, a little less   
than cheerful. The footman closed the door behind   
him quietly.   
  
"Endy, dear! You don't have to be *that*   
formal," a dark-haired woman reprimanded lightly in   
a cheerful tone. She sat in one of the plush   
cherry velvet seats. "What's the matter dear? You   
look a little ruffled today."   
  
Endymion shook his head, clearing his senses.   
  
"You didn't…" The man in the identical   
velvet seat next to the woman said. He rubbed his   
hand over his short beard.   
  
Endymion didn't answer.   
  
"You did, didn't you?" Accused the man,   
pointing a callused finger at the crown prince.   
  
Still no answer, except for a pained groan.   
  
"You tried to mount that crazy horse again!"   
He sighed in resignation. "How many bruises do you   
need to get before you learn?"   
  
"Endymion, dear," the woman said, voice   
lowering. "You can't spend your time performing   
dangerous feats. You still have a coronation to go   
through next year on your twenty-third birthday."   
  
The prince scrubbed his face with his hands   
wearily. Finding a another comfortable, velvet   
padded seat, he fell down in a heap.   
  
"It gives me something to do. I can't listen   
to those old bores. I need a hobby," he answered,   
attempting to negotiate with his aunt and uncle.   
  
"Oh, I get it," his uncle said sarcastically.   
"Attempting to tame a horse with a bad temper and   
bloodshot eyes that always wants to rip you to   
pieces is a *perfect* hobby." He paused   
momentarily. "That is, if you want a hobby that'll   
get yourself killed before your twenty-third   
birthday." He sighed theatrically, putting his   
hand to his forehead as if pretending to get a   
migraine. "What are we going to do with you?"   
  
"You know, your parents would've wanted you   
to be crowned king," his aunt commented. She   
sought for her husband's hand. Finding it, she   
clutched it affectionately. "So would we."   
  
That pretty much cut off all the possible   
negotiating tactics. He could never say no to the   
people who raised him since that fateful day when   
his parents left him. The people who took their   
place and took him in as their own son.   
  
"All right," Endymion agreed reluctantly. He   
gave his surrogate parents an impish smile. His   
aunt reached forward to touch his cheek in maternal   
affection.   
  
"I knew you'd agree with us…" She said   
softly.   
  
"Well, I owe you," Endymion commented, dark,   
indigo eyes alight. A number of emotions could be   
spotted in those depths, the most prominent being   
gratitude.   
  
His aunt and uncle were the only people who   
could actually get through his tough exterior.   
When he was a child, their lent their should for   
him to cry on. They wiped away the tears on his   
salt streaked cheeks and they hugged him when he   
missed his parents. These people were his saviors—  
the people he cared for most. In his mind, they   
were the only people who were worthy of being   
called his mother and father, other than the real   
couple.  
  
Ever since the incident, Endymion held his   
family closer to him, valuing everyone related to   
him. His family and friends had suddenly become   
precious to him.   
  
"Silly boy," his uncle said gruffly. "You   
owe us nothing. Actually, you were the one who   
brought your aunt and I so much joy."   
  
"You two are the closest people in my life   
next to my real father and mother. And for that, I   
will be forever grateful." Endymion turned to his   
uncle without removing his hand from his aunt's   
tender grasp.   
  
"Oh, Endy, dear," his aunt interjected,   
interrupting the quiet, family moment. "Get ready   
for the reunion tonight. You're going to meet all   
those other distant cousins as well."   
  
"A family reunion?" Endymion asked, face   
quizzical. "I should get cleaned up, shouldn't I?"   
She looked down at his own garments, covered in   
dirt and dust. His aunt raised a lacy handkerchief   
to his face and wiped off a streak of dirt that had   
dried on his face. They nodded as he rose to leave   
for his own quarters.   
  
***  
  
The Terran courtroom was bustling and people,   
all part of Endymion's family tree. From every   
extended branch, every single person attended,   
well, except for the crown prince himself. He, as   
usual, was late again. He didn't loathe family   
reunions. In fact, he found them rather likable.   
Most of his relatives were rather witty and good   
conversationalists. In fact, he grew quite fond of   
their presence. For some reason, reunions reminded   
him that since he had lost some people in his life,   
there were many more who still cared for him.   
  
"Where is that boy?" Endymion's aunt   
flustered, slightly agitated. She turned her   
husband for an answer, an answer he did not   
possess.   
  
He simply shrugged and turned to the other   
relatives, wineglass in his hand.   
  
Finally, from behind the heavy sapphire   
curtains of the main hall, Endymion appeared. He   
looked about the large room. In every corner, he   
could spot a relative, all chattering gaily. The   
room was so full of life!   
  
Endymion plunged into the crowd, finding a   
group of his first cousins. Immediately upon   
seeing him, they began to meld him into their busy   
conversation.   
  
"Endy!" Multiple voices cried. Suddenly,   
four young children slammed into his legs and   
hugged him tightly. Regaining his balance quickly,   
Endymion couldn't help but to laugh happily. His   
little cousins had come to visit as well. This was   
a rare gathering indeed.   
  
"Endy?" A little girl in a velvet green   
dress pulled on his shirt with a small hand. He   
turned to her expectantly.  
  
"Yes, Marielle?" The girl started twirling   
one brown ringlet with her small finger, smiling   
impishly.   
  
"Are we having chocolate cake for dessert?"   
She asked, abashed at the question.   
  
"Well," Endymion answered in mock   
uncertainty, looking upwards as if in thought.   
  
"*Please*?" She interjected, giving him her   
best puppy-eyed look. Endymion bent down to face   
her.   
  
"It's in the kitchen," he smiled. He had   
remembered about his little cousin's favorite food.   
"After dinner, okay?"   
  
"'kay!" she agreed, giving him a broad,   
sweet, innocent smile. She skipped off back to her   
parents and the cheek-pinching grandparents.   
  
Anther tug at his leg. Endymion turned to   
see a boy, not older than six, stare up at him   
expectantly.   
  
"Hm?" Endymion answered, looking down at the   
boy with golden tresses.   
  
"Endy? Can I play with your sword?" He   
asked, voice slurred in the childlike accent. His   
bright sapphire eyes looked questioningly at   
Endymion's.   
  
"Well, when you're older," Endymion answered   
in finality.   
  
"But that's what you said last time!" He   
said accusingly, a determined pair of blue eyes   
meeting his.   
  
"The last time I saw you was last month   
though," Endymion reasoned with his six-year-old   
cousin. Negotiating skills really do help in these   
cases, he noticed. One could get a lot of practice   
like this for the future.   
  
"I grew!" The little boy said frustratingly.   
"I grew this much!" He lifted his small hands and   
measured out an unbelievably large proportion.   
  
All the other relatives nearby laughed out   
aloud.   
  
Not long after, the supper bell rang, it's   
chiming tone resounding through the hall.   
Everyone, children and elderly alike, made their   
way toward the grand dining room.   
  
"It's nice of you and your uncle and aunt to   
hold something like this here. I'm proud of you   
Endymion," his great aunt Gwenyth commented,   
straining upwards to pat his cheek lightly. She   
gave him a kindly wrinkled smile.   
  
"Aunt Gwen, it's my pleasure," he said   
grandly, escorting her into the dining room.   
  
Suddenly, a servant tapped at Endymion's   
shoulder unexpectedly.   
  
"What is it?" He hissed, leaving his   
grandaunt to another relative of his to escort her   
in. "I'm just a little busy at the moment."  
  
"Your highness," the servant began, clutching   
his hat in his folded hands. "I'm sorry to   
interrupt your reunion, but Stormlight, the horse,   
is going frantic. The stable master said that even   
though the horse is crazy, you'd be the only person   
to calm him down."   
  
"Me? The horse hates me!" Endymion put in.   
  
"Yes your highness, but it hates the everyone   
else even *more*! Please, it should only take a   
moment. It's going to break down the stable doors!   
People have already been injured trying to tend to   
the frantic thing. It's trying to destroy   
everything in sight! It's rabid I say!"  
  
Endymion nodded. He left a quick word with   
his aunt and uncle before he left.   
  
"All right." Endymion turned to the stable   
boy. "Lead the way."   
  
Endymion reached the main stables. Even from   
afar, he could hear loud crashing sounds and the   
whinnies of a frantic horse trying. Quickly, he   
entered into the stables just to see Stormlight paw   
at the air. It had broken out of his stall and was   
trying to break down the main stable door.   
Miraculously, the hinges held.   
  
Approaching the horse slowly, he said   
soothing words to the horse. However, he wasn't   
sure if it was for the benefit of the horse or him.   
He never saw Stormlight this wild in his life.   
It's eyes were widened with fear. It abandoned the   
stable door and began to paw at the empty air   
again.   
  
"Calm down, Stormlight…Calm down…" A servant   
handed him a few cubes of sugar and immediately   
shrank away, afraid of the horse.   
  
Endymion made a grab for the reins, however,   
Stormlight reared with a loud whinny. Endymion   
rolled away just in time as the hooves came   
crashing down onto the grassy turf.   
  
He brushed off the dust on his shirt.   
Waiting for a proper moment, he made another grab   
for the reins, this time, more gently.   
  
Amazingly, the horse did not move. It   
resisted and fidgeted back and forth a few times,   
but Endymion managed to keep the beast under   
control. He fed the horse the cubes of sugar he   
received earlier and stroked the frightened beast's   
neck thoughtfully.   
  
"I guess the sugar was the key." Endymion   
shrugged, watching the horse take the sugar eagerly   
as if it was a frisky colt. The sugar seemed to be   
calming it's nerves, although, it still shifted   
around nervously.   
  
Suddenly, in the distance, a loud, deafening   
crash echoed into the still night. Followed by a   
loud rumble. The horse began to buck and rear   
nervously again, as if returning back into it's   
frantic state it was before, prior to the sugar.   
Endymion turned immediately and froze.   
  
Fear crept into his widened eyes. More fear   
than he had ever experienced in his life. In his   
deep, stormy depths, orange-yellow light danced   
dangerously in it's reflection.   
  
The entire east wing was on fire! He dropped   
the frenzied Stormlight's reins and ran toward the   
burning flames. A few of the burly stable servants   
managed to shake themselves out of shock and ran   
behind Endymion toward the burning palace.   
  
"Your highness!" A burly stable man cried.   
"You can't go in there!" He shouted, staggering to   
reach the prince.   
  
"NOOO!!!!!" The crown prince cried insanely,   
running swiftly toward the burning east wing.   
  
Two of the large stable men caught up with   
him and caught him by the arm, attempting to drag   
him away from the catastrophe.   
  
"You're going to kill yourself! Stop!"   
However, Endymion still plowed on mercilessly.   
  
It finally took two men to jump upon him to   
render him immobile. However, he still tried to   
make his way toward his burning family, tears   
stinging his sensitive eyes.   
  
"I'VE GOT TO SAVE THEM!" He said, his   
behavior just as frantic and frenzied as Stormlight   
was, and even more so. Tears fell down his eyes   
freely now. However, the fire still danced   
prominently in his blurred vision.   
  
"Your highness! Get a hold of yourself!"   
One of the stable men shook him vigorously,   
attempting to knock him back into his senses. "No   
one could survive a blast like that!" He gripped   
the prince's shoulders with such force and bent   
down to yell into his tender ears.   
  
Endymion stared into the flames, sobbing like   
a child. The faces of his great aunt Gwen,   
Marielle and the little boy of six, his aunt and   
uncle whom he loved so dearly. The people that   
meant the most to him in his life. The people that   
drew him from the depths of despair and turned   
whatever meager happiness he had left and   
cultivated it. The people who had loved him and   
cherished him as their own son—were dead.   
  
"NOOOOO!!!!!!!" He gave one last desperate   
struggle to get free, clawing at the grassy turf in   
despair.   
  
***  
  
"Your highness?" One of his lords knocked   
lightly on the door. After five minutes of no   
answering, he simply entered in the door.   
  
Endymion raised his head slightly, bloodshot   
eyes hidden behind the dark tresses that fell in   
front of his face. He hadn't slept in days.   
  
He vaguely remembered what had happened and   
furiously appointing one of his nobles to   
investigate the incident, however, he couldn't   
remember which, nor did he really care.   
  
"Your highness, I have found some evidence   
that contributed to this injustice!" The lord said   
triumphantly, one hand around a box, the other,   
clenched around in a fist.   
  
Endymion didn't answer. A crystal cup and an   
empty decanter sat on the small table beside him on   
the polished wooden surface.   
  
"I found some fragments," the noble continued   
nevertheless. He knew that the prince could hear   
him.   
  
"The material is native to one place—"   
  
He gasped as the prince raised his head   
wearily. He gazed at the noble squarely, awaiting   
him to continue his sentence. His eyes were a   
sullen stormy blue and dark circles had appeared   
underneath his eyes.   
  
"It is only found in the Lunarian kingdoms.   
Namely the moon."   
  
Endymion's first look was a look of shock,   
then a look of pure anger.   
  
"Are you sure?" He rasped, glaring at the   
noble. The heavy smell of alcohol drifting from   
his breath.   
  
"Yes, my lord. There's no other theory. The   
material confirms it. They are guilty of killing   
your family and probably your parents as well," the   
noble said matter-of-factly, handing the material   
for Endymion to inspect.   
  
The first question that popped into   
Endymion's mind was "why"? However, he dismissed   
the thought. He no longer cared. The moon was   
responsible for the extermination of the entire   
royal family line. They were to blame, he thought   
harshly. He narrowed his eyes, handing back the   
material to the noble silently.   
  
"Your highness, we must have the coronation   
earlier." The noble suggested, attempting to turn   
to other topics that were deemed more important in   
his mind.  
  
Endymion didn't move.   
  
"Leave," he dismissed the noble quietly,   
voice dripping with undiminished fury.  
  
"But, your highness, we must speak about the   
coronation!" The noble informed him more urgently.   
  
"Leave!" Endymion shouted regally, fury and   
irritability building up in his eyes as he glared   
at the noble.  
  
Bowing, the noble left, intimidated by   
Endymion's commanding tone. He closed the door   
quietly before leaving.   
  
For days, Endymion recounted back the   
memories of his family. From the little boy who   
wanted to play with his sword to great aunt Gwen   
patting his cheek. He could still remember his   
uncle looking at him incredulously about Stormlight   
and his aunt wiping his cheek with her soft, lacy   
handkerchief fondly.   
  
He stared out the window, spotting the   
glowing object in the sky that he loathed most.   
His eyes stared menacingly at the moon for a goodly   
amount of time before he spat out, "You will pay   
dearly for this. You and your beloved   
civilization!"   
  
***  
  
mizu: Okay, I know, I know, the changed names are   
just a little confusing… okay, just to clarify   
some things, here's a mini character chart:  
  
Past Name - Future Name  
  
Princess Serenity - Tsukino Usagi  
Constance - Mizuno Ami  
Eva - Hino Rei  
Ceres- Kino Makoto  
Vestia - Aino Minako  
Prince Endymion - Chiba Mamoru  
  
Make a little more sense to you? If not you can   
always send us an e-mail:  
  
==========================  
For general questions, comments   
for BOTH authors:  
e-mail: mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com  
  
For my co-author, namida:  
e-mail: senshi_pluto@crystal-tokyo.com  
  
For mizu:  
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami   
===========================  
  
namida: how could you do that?!   
  
mizu: do what? *looks at namida blankly*  
  
namida: make Endymion go crazy like that! It   
wasn't in the original script!  
  
mizu: *blinks* yes it was…  
  
namida: since when did you start following the   
official script?   
  
mizu: erm…It's not something I'm proud of… but,   
well, I figured that it might be crucial in this   
case…  
  
namida: -_-* oh, readers! This fanfic   
is going to be separated into four books. The   
first one—  
  
mizu: *points to the computer screen proudly*  
  
namida: -_-* hm…where was I? Oh, the first one   
is called "Voiceless Song" The other names…well,   
we haven't figured out their names yet. It was   
enough trouble talking to *mizu* about the title.   
*sigh* all that trouble!   
  
mizu: *pops up from piles of papers, filled with   
lists of possible titles* so, people already took   
most of them…*shrugs*   
  
namida: *sighs, resigned* what *am* I going to do   
with you?  
  
mizu: give me chapter 2!  
  
namida: why do I even bother with you? -_-*  
  
Arigato, minna-san! Ja!   
-mizu  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko   
Takeuchi. We don't own it. Really, we don't, or   
we'd all be millionaires living in a dream world.   
On *that* happy note...  
  
e-mail: senshi_pluto@crystal-tokyo.com  
  
EDGE OF DREAMS~BOOK I: Voiceless Song  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Edge of Dreams:  
Chapter 2: Reality's Gaze   
by: Namida  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
***  
  
Vestia sighed for the umpteenth time as   
she wandered around the palace gardens   
aimlessly, not really caring where she ended   
up. As usual, the gardens were beautiful, with   
soft light from the sky playing gently on the   
fragile petals of the so many delicate   
blossoms that hung in the air.  
  
However, Vestia was in no mood to admire   
the surrounding beauty as she thought back to   
the conversation she had with Queen Serenity and   
Constance only minutes before.  
  
***   
(20 minutes earlier)  
  
"You called for me your majesty?", Vestia   
inquired as she walked into Serenity's private   
chambers, closing the door quietly behind her   
and bowing. Taking a seat beside the already   
present Constance, she wondered what was so   
important that would have made the Queen summon   
her in the middle of mid-day training.   
  
The Queen, looking up from where she was   
studying a long scroll of what seemed to be   
scribbles, smiled wanly as Vestia walked into   
the elaborately furnished room, done in colors of   
white and silver. As usual, her hair was done up in   
the style of the Royal Family of the Moon Kingdom   
as it flowed down her shoulders and back towards   
her ankles in a graceful arc even as the light from   
the window and flames from the nearby candles   
played on it, making its silver sheen glisten even   
more, if that was possible. "I'm glad you both   
could come" she said, tiredly.  
  
"Your majesty, is there something wrong?   
Have the results from those tests on the   
mysterious energy readings come back already?"   
Constance asked from where she sat with a worried   
frown imprinted on her face.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact, they have but   
the results were inconclusive. That could   
either mean one of two things, either the   
sensors picked up the passing fluctuating   
energy trail from the comet as negative, or   
that there was negative energy but well   
shielded and hidden enough so that it would   
pass by invisibly."  
  
Constance, tapping her fingers   
thoughtfully on the arm of her chair, began   
turning around this newly found piece of   
information in her head. "What could possibly   
be the origin of this negative energy? There   
hasn't been any detected since the first   
Serenity sealed Chaos so long ago!" she   
wondered, slightly baffled, which was a new   
experience for her.  
  
Serenity sighed. "We still don't know,   
dear. As I've said before, we're still not   
positive that it is indeed negative energy out   
there."  
  
Vestia, not being one for long   
explanations on causes and reasons spoke up.   
"If you're not sure whether the energy found was   
negative, then, what is the reason to why you have   
summoned us?"  
  
"I have summoned you because, as leader   
of my daughter's protectors, it is important   
that you learn of these dangers if you wish to   
ensure her safety and well being, as well as   
that of the kingdom's." Serenity replied,   
wearily not realizing that it seemed like a   
slightly harsh rebuke. "It has also come to my   
attention that the regents of the Kingdom of Earth   
and many of their relatives were brutally murdered   
mysteriously." Vestia and Constance both shared a   
mutual gasp.   
  
"As such, it is believed that the kingdom   
has become unstable and weary of its alliance   
with the Moon and its place in the Silver   
Millennium. I am about to send ambassadors of   
the Moon to Earth, as well as an offer of our   
aid in finding the culprits but even I am   
unsure of their response. Vestia, I wish for   
you and Constance to go with them to further   
your training as well as help mediate the   
situation in the days and weeks to come."   
  
"What about Eva and Ceres?" the subdued   
Vestia asked, still in a shocked stupor over the   
news that she had just received.   
  
"They shall remain here to protect the   
princess while you are gone. I do not want you   
to mention this to the others. If Sere found   
out the true nature of your venture, she would be   
most upset and I do not wish to frighten her with   
things that may never happen. Only tell her that   
you are going to Earth to further train and study.   
You may tell the others if you deem it necessary."  
  
"Your majesty, would it be wise to travel   
down to Earth in light of the supposed negative   
energy?" Constance inquired timidly.   
  
Serenity's eyes softened. "No it would not,   
and because of this, I cannot force you to go, but   
only ask you to help find the reason for this   
unfortunate event. Earth's involvement in the   
alliance is very beneficial to the Silver   
Millennium and we must offer any aid we can as   
stated in the Accord reached by the first Serenity   
and all the ruling members of the planets. Can I be   
dependent on your aid?"  
  
Both Constance and Vestia nodded   
resolutely seeing that they had no choice,   
needing to protect their Princess from any   
harm, even one as indirectly as Earth's   
crumbling alliance with the Silver Millennium.   
  
Queen Serenity breathed a sigh of relief   
as she looked at her daughter's protectors, so   
full of duty and courage. "Thank you. You may   
now leave. I wish you luck, in the many days to   
come. May the light always guide and protect   
you from the darkness" the Queen offered, protocol   
allowing her to give nothing more in such a serious   
predicament.  
  
As she watched Constance and Vestia walk   
quietly out of the room, she sighed again,   
unaware of what dangers or trials lay ahead for   
all of them.   
  
'I hope that the events to come will not   
break us.' She thought.  
  
***  
  
As Vestia continued her pointless stroll   
across the gardens, she noticed a small figure   
standing alone staring thoughtfully up at the   
Earth. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it   
was Serenity, light blonde hair gently stirring in   
the passing breeze. "Penny for your thoughts,   
Sere."  
  
Startled and broken out of her reverie,   
Serenity turned with a look of confusion on her   
Face at her would-be protector. "Penny? What's   
that?"  
  
Vestia tiny sweated as she realized that   
she did not in fact know the answer to this and   
only asked because it was something she heard   
her father say to her when she was a child and   
thought that it would be able to break the   
silence. "Uhm, it's a type of cookie...yeah,   
that's it!" she said trying to cover her   
tracks.   
  
"So where it is?" Serenity asked somewhat   
skeptically.   
  
"Well, you haven't shared your thoughts   
with me yet, have you?" Vestia pointed out   
triumphantly, huge grin on her face.   
  
Serenity let out her breath. "I give up,   
I give up!" she smiled. "Who can win against the   
tactics that the great leader of the Senshi   
possesses?"   
  
"No one can!" Venus chirped as she raised   
her hands to form her infamous *V*ictory. "So   
what's the matter Sere? Why are you staring so   
wistfully up at the Earth again?"   
  
"No reason, I suppose. Its just this   
feeling I have, you know, the one that you think   
something's going to happen, but you're not sure   
what. This is just silly talk, ne?", Serenity   
allowed a small laugh as she realized that she was   
probably just letting her imagination get the best   
of her.   
  
"Happen? What ever do you think is wrong   
Sere?" Vestia laughed nervously as she put her   
hands behind her head.  
  
"Wrong? Whoever said anything about wrong   
V-chan?" Serenity raised her eyebrow as she   
watched Vestia try to cough and laugh at the   
same time, which looked suspiciously like   
someone trying to cough up their lung.   
  
Trying to think of what she said wrong and   
possibly save her protector's life, she decided to   
change the subject. "Ne, V-chan, what do you think   
it would be like to live on Earth as a normal   
person."   
  
This did not have the desired affect as   
Vestia's eyes seemed to bug out of her head for   
no particular reason that Serenity could   
determine. "Didn't you get to see what Earth   
was like when you visited? You know, first hand   
experience?" replied Vestia who was trying to   
weakly cover up for herself.  
  
Serenity sweat-dropped as she wondered   
whether this was one of their more bizarre   
conversations or not. She quickly chose the   
former as she watched Vestia turn shades of   
various colors. "Yes, but I didn't even get to   
see anything, other than the 'King and Queen'   
and the only scenery I saw was from that of  
outside my window. Mother is so overprotective   
of me!" she stated, exasperated.   
  
"You have no idea." Vestia muttered to   
herself while rolling her eyeballs.   
  
"What was that?" Serenity perked up, amused.   
Vestia blinked as she realized that what she had   
just said was out loud.   
  
"Eh? Nothing Sere, nothing. Just thinking to   
myself."   
  
"In others words, talking to yourself   
again, ne?" Eva butted in playfully from no   
where.   
  
Vestia let out her breath explosively as   
she was sure that Eva would come to her rescue.   
"What's up Eva?" she said, back to her regular   
self, glad to have the spotlight on someone   
other than herself.  
  
"Nothing much, just waiting until dinner   
I suppose, you wouldn't believe how hungry I   
am, even after such a conventional use of my   
powers."  
  
"Hai, I know. Its tiring right? At least   
we know that it tastes good. Ceres did cook it   
after all!" Vestia clasped her hands in front   
of her with a starry eyed expression. Serenity   
and Eva nodded in agreement.   
  
Eva winked at Serenity as she mock gagged.   
"Although one more comment from you and we would   
have been eating electrocuted chicken or better   
yet, something you would have cooked."   
  
Vestia, at this moment took the time to   
smack Eva playfully on the head and attempt to   
tickle her. Soon, an all out tickle war was in   
progress, and giggles could be heard across the   
gardens.  
  
***  
  
"Something does not seem to be right" the   
mysterious woman mused to herself as she stared   
back into the mists. "I do not like the feel of   
this" she said as she gripped her head in pain.  
  
***  
  
"Did I miss something here? Is this some   
sort of new form of training that I've neglected to   
learn?" a new voice quipped as she watched the   
three girls happily poking at each other in what   
seemed to be a "who could laugh louder" competition   
to her.   
  
"Its called having fun" the aquamarine-  
haired girl replied slyly as she turned to face the   
tall, lithe, blond-headed figure beside her.   
  
All three girls stopped mid-tickle to   
stare at the two new figures. Eva glared   
silently while Vestia blinked in surprise.   
Serenity ran to one the two figures and hugged   
her happily.  
  
"Arianna!" she said enthusiastically as   
she still held the aquamarine-haired girl in   
her arms. Arianna, realizing that she might   
need to breathe, tried to free herself but to no   
avail as she heard her partner, Kouran chuckle   
beside her. Arianna quickly shot her a look that   
showed her that she was *not* amused.   
  
Kouran, coughing slightly looked at the   
happy-princess with a smile tugging at the corner   
of her lips. "Ne, Odango, long time no see!"  
  
Serenity took the bait and let go of   
Arianna only to give Kouran a funny look. "I   
told you not to call me that!" she said   
resigned.   
  
Kouran laughed, "and I told you that   
I wouldn't listen, so where does that leave   
us?" the blonde retorted.   
  
Eva, looking at the two newcomers decided to   
rake them with one of her more withering glares.   
"What brings the ever so elusive Uranus and Neptune   
here?" she snapped out before understanding hit her   
like a ten pound brick.  
  
"What's it to you Mars?" Kouran shot out   
bitterly. "We have just as many reasons as you   
to be here, if not more" she added, not being   
able to resist and knowing that the Senshi of   
Fire could lose her temper quite...easily as her   
namesake implied.   
  
"We were summoned by Queen Serenity." Neptune   
interjected quickly before a beating...erm...   
'training' session could begin between the two as   
well as giving Uranus a disapproving glance while   
she was at it.   
  
Vestia silently frowned to herself thinking   
back to the conversation she had had with the Queen   
earlier. 'Is it *that* serious that Queen Serenity   
would summon Uranus and Neptune from their duty to   
the solar system? Well, at least Saturn is not   
here, then we'd be in really big trouble' she   
thought as she tried to console herself mentally.   
  
"Minna, dinner's ready!" a new voice   
cheerfully announced. Vestia froze mid-thought as   
her ears registered the new voice thinking that her   
thoughts would come back to haunt her. Relief   
wracked her frame and features as she turned around   
to see only Ceres and Constance and not the   
legendary Senshi with glaive in hand.   
  
"Ne, Vestia, is there something wrong? You   
look like I just threw a bucket of ice cold water   
on you." With a mischievous look on her face,   
Ceres added "I could if you wanted me to."   
  
Vestia made an effort to smile and mentally   
note that she needed to get back at Ceres for that   
one as she tried to decipher the wildly flailing   
hand gestures that Constance was making at her. 'I   
wish I paid more attention to this stupid code when   
she taught it to me' Vestia thought dryly with a   
puzzled look of concentration on her face.   
'Serenity is...what...argh... giving you something,   
hmm.. textbooks? Cookies? Chicken?!?!'   
  
"Is there something in particular you're   
swinging at Constance, or are those movements for   
fun?" Kouran mocked as she curiously observed the   
blue-haired girl's frantic arm movements.  
  
"Just some big bug." Constance answered   
lamely yet calmly, or so she thought. In actuality,   
it seemed very suspicious to the onlookers as she   
laughed rather nervously around glancing this way   
and that not really appearing to see anything.   
  
"I GOT IT!" Vestia shouted to Constance's   
dismay. "Serenity is giving you weird looks!" she   
said triumphantly not realizing that the last was   
said aloud for all to hear. Constance sighed in   
defeat as she watched Vestia put her hands behind   
her head, laugh nervously, make some sort of a   
weird excuse and run away, literally dragging her   
in tow. 'There goes stealth' she thought wryly.  
  
The remaining parties looked at each other   
with strange expressions on their faces. "What in   
the Silver Crystal's name was that about?" one of   
them finally questioned, unsure and confused,   
resisting the urge to burst out laughing.   
  
"Serenity only knows and maybe not even then"   
was the reply.   
  
***  
  
Queen Serenity, descendent of the first   
Serenity, most graceful and respected queen of her   
time, burst out laughing as she watched the   
exchange of the would-be warriors of justice from   
her vantage point. 'Leave it to Vestia to brighten   
things up. She reminds me so much of her   
predecessor its scary', Serenity thought wistfully.  
  
"Hardly proper for the queen of the Silver   
Millennium to burst out in such a display", the   
woman chided, almost gently, her features   
unreadable as she walked into the ornately   
decorated room.   
  
"Luna, can't you let me be, just this once,   
after all these year you'd think I'd be able to get   
a little..." Serenity stopped in mid-sentence as   
she turned around, face to face with an unexpected   
visitor in her quarters who was definitely *not*   
Luna.  
  
"Why are you here?" she asked, suppressing   
the sudden urge she felt to stammer.   
  
"For a short visit, some questions and some   
answers." The mysterious woman replied coyly. "I   
assume that you're going to give them to me?"   
  
"What is it that you wish to know that you   
already didn't?" Serenity replied quizzically, the   
hint of steel once again creeping back into her   
melodic voice where it had vanished only seconds   
before. The woman faintly chuckled before her   
expression returned to its previous mask of   
indifference.   
  
"What possessed you to summon the Outer   
Senshi?" she asked, however, she already knew   
the answer, which defeated the whole purpose,   
really. Her sources were very reliable-and she   
was grateful for that.   
  
"There have recently been 'sightings' of   
negative energy. I believe that it is necessary for   
them to be here in case evil happens threaten the   
realm once again." She answered, now seemingly   
unruffled by the woman's presence.   
  
"It's not" the woman replied flatly, a note   
of finality in her voice. "They are needed   
elsewhere in the kingdom to protect your precious   
solar system as well as to fulfill their   
destinies."   
  
"And what do you suggest I tell them?"   
Serenity asked thoughtfully.   
  
"You're asking me? Aren't you the one who's   
always telling me that I have no tact?" the woman   
shrouded in mystery remarked.   
  
"And what of Pluto?" Serenity queried with a   
strange glint in her crystal blue eyes.   
  
"What of Pluto?" the woman asked in turn with   
a effortlessly raised eyebrow.   
  
"Never mind" the ever-so regal Queen   
dismissed with a slightly exasperated look on her   
porcelain face.   
  
"Is that all?" Serenity asked with a note of   
dismissal in her voice.  
  
"It is. We shall meet again." She replied   
before stepping into the mists that were not   
present a few moments ago and disappearing.  
  
"I certainly hope not" Serenity murmured with   
a smile threatening to hover over her lips.   
  
***  
  
(On Earth)  
  
"Argh..." Beryl screamed in frustration as   
she slammed her fists in the mirror only to watch   
it shatter to pieces as the once bright red blood   
trickled down her hand. 'Splendid' she thought   
bitterly as she stared down at the now purple   
liquid gushing out her veins, noting with   
detachment that she did not feel a slither of pain.  
  
"What have I got myself into?" she muttered   
darkly to herself. "That's the last time I listen   
to voices" she mused to herself sarcastically, as   
she looked at the woman in the tiny shards of   
splintered mirror that was reflected back at her.   
What she saw was not the weak and ugly girl she had   
been only months ago.   
  
Slowly, during the past few months, she had   
begun to change, in her opinion, even for the   
better. What was once gangly and odd, had filled   
out and replaced her lanky movements with a kind of   
grace even as her once dry and parchment-like hair   
grew into the beautiful-red hued color that it was   
now. Reviewing herself again, somewhat distorted in   
the mirror fragments, she decided that it was for   
the better this way and malicious grin touched her   
lips as her memories pulled her into a flashback.  
  
*flashback*  
  
Beryl stared at herself in frustration at the   
mirror muttering dark curses under her breath as   
she wished fervently for the millionth time that   
she was beautiful and powerful enough to get what   
she wanted. Of course like any other scheming   
member of the court, she included Prince Endymion   
on her 'what to have' list.   
  
Again, she cringed as she saw herself in the   
reflection and wondered how sweet life would have   
been for her if she did indeed become the Queen of   
Earth, and ruled at Endymion's side. She sighed in   
frustration again as she punched her fist into the   
mirror, wincing in the pain yet, there was no   
blood, for she was not strong enough for such an   
impact to occur.   
  
"Beryl..." a voiced lulled at her almost   
seductively. (AN: not like THAT...) "Beryl..." it   
came again and again in whispered tones. She   
whirled around this way and that trying to pinpoint   
the origin of the mysterious, shadow voice. Trying   
for ten minutes and finally giving up, she asked in   
frustration. "Who are you? What do you want?"   
  
"You..." the mysterious voice replied (AN:   
not like THAT...again.) "Me?" she asked shakily   
with doubt seething through her veins. "Your aid."   
It replied soothingly. "For a price of course."  
  
"A Price?" she stammered. "What would I   
possibly want that only you could give me?" she   
asked, hope slowly dawning in her eyes.   
  
"Everything Beryl..." came the whispered replied.   
Just as quickly, her eyes narrowed to thin slits as   
she scrutinized the deal being offered to her.   
Already having decided but still unsure if her   
choice was the right one, she asked hesitantly;   
  
"And what aid do you ask of me?"   
  
"To help with my revenge against the Silver   
Millennium..." the voice slithered back to her.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"Beryl..." the now familiar voice whispered   
to her, breaking her out of her reverie. "Have you   
done what I have demanded?"   
  
"Yes I have, Master" she replied meekly as   
she thought back to what she had previously done.   
Guilt entered her thoughts briefly only to be   
brought to a screeching halt and replaced with a   
sort of gratitude as she attended to her 'master's'   
whim, for she addressed it only as such and had   
been given no other name.   
  
She ground her teeth in frustration as she   
thought of her current situation. She mentally   
banged her head as she recalled how Endymion   
refused to see her after the latest 'incident' with   
his family locking himself in her quarters. 'It was   
only the murder of countless innocents, those being   
his close family' she mused heartlessly, for it   
appeared that she no longer possessed one. "Where   
is the reward you promised after I completed the   
task master."   
  
"When we finish all our work and exact   
revenge, my child." The shadow at the corner of the   
room flickered in annoyance. 'If this one did not   
possess sufficient power, I would have consumer her   
long ago' it though as Beryl's petty concerns and   
questions were grating on it's nerves.   
  
"You promised me Endymion!" she screeched at   
the dark force.   
  
"In due time" it snapped, finally its anger   
taking the better of it. Beryl looked at the shadow   
pensively and muttered a few choice oaths under her   
breath.   
  
Finally, letting the matter drop, for she was   
beyond the point of no return anyway, she decided,   
in a fit of bravery or stupidity, it depends on the   
view ask her master a bold question. "And what   
shall millions call you when they tremble at our   
feet?" she asked, curiosity for once getting the   
better of her.  
  
"Chaos..." came the hushed reply.  
  
***  
  
"Open the door Endymion!" the man shouted in   
his best command voice not really expecting his   
liege to comply. "Go away and leave me alone   
Kunzite!" was the snapped reply.  
  
Kunzite muttered darkly to himself, gray eyes   
turning to steel as he turned around abruptly,   
stalking away. His shoulder length white-gray hair   
caught in the breeze as turned this way and that   
down the palace corridors disappearing in the   
shadows only to reappear in the 'General's'   
briefing room.   
  
Upon entering and seeing the apparent mood   
their leader was in, the latecomer laughed faintly   
only to be raked by steely gray eyes. Jadeite   
quirked an blonde eyebrow as he watched Zoicite   
enter the room, with his long hair neatly tied up   
flowing past his shoulder blades meeting gray eyes   
calmly with blue ones.   
  
"Morning rendezvous with Endymion went rather   
well I take it?" he asked seriousness forming   
around him as the subject shifted to his prince.   
  
"Again, he refuses to come out of his seclusion and   
lives like a hermit" Jadeite, the other blonde in   
the room replied for their leader. As his short   
cropped hair threatened to invade his field of view   
he pushed it back with tired fingers for they were   
all worried about the charge's condition.   
  
Suddenly, a muscular-built man walked into   
the room abruptly, auburn hair tumbling down his   
shoulders and hard brown eyes. "What is it   
Nephrite?" Zoicite asked as he eyed his silent   
comrade.   
  
"The moon, they're coming to our 'aid'" he   
replied, the usual softness in his voice replaced   
by one of an icy nature.   
  
"What do we do?" Jadeite asked heatedly, a   
note of fury and frustration entering his usual   
calm and rational voice.   
  
"What we were told to do by our prince in his   
only command given to us in the past few weeks"   
Kunzite answered in an unruffled and stern manner,   
traces of his frustration already lost.  
  
***  
  
Vestia sighed as she watched the stars flit   
by. She was not particularly fond of leaving her   
princess, even though she was assured that Serenity   
would be still be in good hands, namely Eva's and   
Cere's. 'I wish I had something to do but worry'   
she mused to herself as she watched Constance, her   
companion type at a furious pace on her mini-  
computer. It was eerie to see the calmest and most   
rational Senshi this way; in a trance-like state,   
not paying attention to anything but her computer.   
It was almost as bad as one Cere's cooking binges   
or her own training one.   
  
"Ne, Constance, do you think that we should   
have told Sere the truth and not have run off like   
we did?" Vestia said drawing her friend out of her   
zombie-like state.   
  
"Run off like *you* did," Constance corrected   
with a giggle.   
  
"What harm can a trip to Earth bring anyway?"   
Vestia continued, "Its not like we're the enemy or   
anything."   
  
They would soon find out as they landed on   
the Earth. Constance and Vestia looked relieved as   
landed without trouble however, the gravity factor   
was over-looked as they promptly fell to their   
knees.   
  
"Constance, you forgot" Vestia reprimanded   
jokingly.   
  
"Hai, gomen ne." she responded sheepishly,   
her cheeks becoming flushed as she typed out a few   
commands into her computer and pulled out a few   
devices. She handed them to Vestia and the rest of   
the ambassadors and as they were put on, the   
gravity, somewhat lessened allowing them to walk   
around more gracefully and without falling every   
other step.   
  
Vestia gave her a grateful look as she opened   
the ship's door and stepped out, only to be greeted   
by the most handsome man that she had ever gazed   
upon. He had a very muscular build behind his gray   
general's uniform and gorgeous features, with snow   
white hair accentuating them. However, his eyes   
were a steely gray when she reached them. She   
noticed, as well, a detachment of guards with him,   
and wondered what kind of a welcoming party Terrans   
preferred.  
  
Placing a well practiced smile on her face,   
she introduced herself. "I am Commander Venus of   
the Sailor Senshi of the moon, Guardians to the   
Princess, Daughter of the Queen and protectors to   
the kingdom. How may we be of aid?" She asked   
calmly, years of drilling and protocol engraved her   
head.  
  
"You may not." The man replied harshly. "You   
and your representatives of the Moon are under   
arrest of the murder of countless innocents, namely   
the Royal Family of the Earth by decree of Prince   
Endymion, Crown Prince of the Earth."  
  
***  
  
End Chapter 2  
  
To recap the names for you:  
  
Past Name - Future Name   
  
Princess Serenity - Tsukino Usagi  
Constance - Mizuno Ami  
Eva - Hino Rei  
Ceres- Kino Makoto  
Vestia - Aino Minako  
Prince Endymion - Chiba Mamoru  
  
Kouran - Uranus  
Arianna - Neptune  
(Not yet mentioned but for future reference)  
Reina - Saturn  
Aeris - Pluto  
  
Makes sense? No? Comments, Flames and whatnot   
welcomed. Preferably comments. :)  
  
==========================  
For general questions, comments   
for BOTH authors:  
e-mail: mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com  
  
For me, Namida:  
e-mail: senshi_pluto@crystal-tokyo.com  
  
For my co-author mizu:  
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami   
===========================  
  
Namida: Finally!! *dodges flying shoes* It didn't   
take *that* long did it?   
  
Mizu: Look at your calendar and tell me what you   
see in those pretty little boxes  
  
Namida: -_-* Gomen!  
  
Mizu: *smiles triumphantly and makes *V*icory sign*   
I knew you'd see it my way! Next Chapter on its way   
soon.  
  
Namida: Yep, and you'll get it faster too, cause   
I'm not writing it. ;D  
  
Doumo minna-san, Ja ne! Feedback welcome!  
  
-~Namida~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own. Sailor Moon belongs to   
Naoko Takeuchi.   
  
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Edge of Dreams:  
Chapter 3: Commencement  
by: mizu  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Amidst the dreary darkness of the unkempt   
Terran dungeons, a figure sat calmly and quietly on   
the stone cold floor. She was engrossed in   
twiddling with a piece of straw from a pile that   
was scattered across the damp floor.   
  
Constance sat in silence, watching the straw   
between her thin fingers twirl in an arched manner,   
from it's bent frame. She looked over to Vestia,   
who was doing much the same thing that she was.   
  
Vestia's gown was mussed, with stains all   
over   
the simple yellow muslin fabric from constant   
shifting. Her long, luxurious golden hair seemed   
to have lost it's sheen, hanging life-lessly down   
her arched back. A mixture of expressions crossed   
her face as she too contemplated their present   
situation. Constance realized that she too, must   
look very much the same as her commander as well.   
  
It was Vestia who broke the silence.   
  
"Whoever made up the tale that dungeons were   
dark, damp and smelly, they were *very* close to   
the truth," she muttered. Constance stifled a   
giggle. Trust Vestia to break the tension.  
  
"Why would they do this to us?" Constance   
asked, skeptical of the situation. "What did we   
every do to them?" She turned to Vestia—perhaps   
she might have an idea to what was amiss. She   
rubbed her face with the back of her hand,   
inadvertently smearing her face with dirt.   
  
"I sincerely don't know Constance…All we did   
was come down here to give our regards in person   
about the Terran royal family massacre—" Vestia   
commented innocently.  
  
"Wait…Serenity did say that the Terrans were   
a little edgy after the incident—"  
  
"I don't classify this as edgy Constance.   
This is insanity!" hugged Vestia, exasperated.   
What were the Terrans thinking?! She paused when   
she heard footsteps and the distinct ringing sound   
of keys outside their cell. Immediately, she   
strode purposefully toward the barred doors.   
  
"Finally! Are they letting us out?"   
Constance questioned Vestia, whose body pressed   
against the old wooden door. However, she did not   
answer.  
  
"Hey!" Vestia yelled through the small   
opening built into the ancient door. "Hey!!!" She   
yelled louder, yet again.   
  
"Whaddya want?!" A guard's voice bellowed,   
the sound of footsteps and the jangling of keys   
getting louder with every step. Soon, his gruff   
face appeared at the door opening, the thick metal   
bars separating his sagging face in three   
proportions.   
  
"I demand to know why we've been held   
captive!" commanded Vestia in her most   
intimidating tone that she could muster in her   
current state.   
  
"No one orders *me* around! Especially no   
*you*" The guard replied in a rough voice,   
emphasizing his last word with a jab through he   
opening with the butt of his sword. Vestia, having   
excellent reflexes, pulled away before the large,   
blunt hilt could come in contact with her   
defenseless face. She narrowed her eyes spitefully   
toward him.   
  
"Why have we been taken prisoner?!" She   
demanded, taking a safe step away from the door   
opening for added safety if the fat brute decided   
to give her the *pleasure* of meeting his sword   
again.   
  
"Why?!" He asked incredulously, as if he   
were   
insulted rudely. He turned to his other companions   
behind him and snickered. "The little girl wants   
to know why," he sneered as the harsh laughter from   
various guards could be heard.  
  
"Just answer the question!!!" Vestia   
shouted, losing what little patience she had left.   
Throwing her and Constance into the dungeon was one   
thing. However, being insulted for an unknown   
crime was another. The guard did not seem to care,   
or notice that her patience was wearing thin.  
  
"You know very well what you and your cursed   
moon kingdom did," he snarled, all traces of   
laughter drained from his voice and replaced with   
prejudice. "How dare you even ask that question!"   
After all the suffering you've caused, you've still   
got the gall to even say *anything* about it?"  
  
Vestia sighed, very loudly. "I. Will. Ask.   
You. Once. Again," she said between clenched   
teeth. "WHAT DID WE DO TO *YOU*?!"  
  
"Hmm…let me refresh your measly little   
memory," the guard scoffed. Constance ran up   
behind Vestia, putting a hand on her shoulder to   
keep her from doing anything rash.  
  
"I want to rip that man's face off!" She   
hissed quietly at Constance.  
  
"I know," she replied quietly, understanding   
how Vestia felt. "But calm down, or he'll never   
tell us."  
  
Vestia hesitated, then quite reluctantly, she   
shook her head in agreement. "Fine, spoilsport.   
I'll rip his face off *after*." She crossed her   
arms in the classic pouting expression.  
  
"You," he pointed an accusatory finger at   
Vestia and Constance. "killed the entire royal   
family. You and your wretched moon kingdom!"  
  
"We did WHAT?" This time, Constance had the   
sudden urge to lunge at the rude guard.   
  
"You heard me! Who knows why you did it, but   
as I always thought, you *creatures* from the moon   
kingdom are crazy! You're, you're LUNATICS!" With   
that, the guard strode away, the hopeful jangling   
of keys departing with him.  
  
"Good riddance," Vestia grumbled, uncrossing   
her arms.  
  
"But he also had the keys…" Constance   
pointed out matter-of-factly.   
  
"Crap…" she muttered, along with other more   
*colorful* choice words she learned from her Senshi   
training in the Mars' army camps. At that moment,   
she probably would've made a fisherman's wife   
proud.   
  
***  
  
"He ordered a WHAT?" Ambassador Toki   
exclaimed, blond tendrils shaking wildly in   
equality to the fervor of his tenor voice. He   
gazed at the General as if demanding an answer to   
all the troubles in the galaxy.   
  
High General Kunzite, commander of the elite   
private guard of Crown Prince Endymion simply sat   
back in his chair, scrawling his signature on the   
last few sheets of paper before him. He paused and   
stared squarely back at the Ambassador. "I answer   
to no one except for the prince."  
  
"Kunzite, what do you think you're doing?!"   
Toki continued, "You know what this could lead   
to!" Toki had known and trusted Kunzite as a   
friend and a professional colleague. He never knew   
him to be this irrational.   
  
Kunzite nodded briefly in affirmation before   
returning to his paperwork. "I didn't do anything   
except for bringing justice to those who were   
wronged. Ambassador, this is only the first   
step."   
  
However, this wasn't enough of an answer for   
Toki. Still, he prodded on into the subject.   
"Those are the chief delegates of Venus, Mercury   
*and* the moon. Take them captive and *you'd* be   
the one promoting war between all three planets!   
Not to mention the alliance! Don't you understand   
that these relations are DELICATE?!"   
  
Kunzite simply shrugged indifferently to the   
situation as if it were an annoyance.   
  
"What kind of JUSTICE is WAR?!!!" Toki   
always had strong beliefs, despite what everyone   
else thought…  
  
A still silence passed between them, the air   
between them growing excessively tense. Kunzite   
rose slowly from his desk, propping up two gloved   
hands on the dark, polished wooden surface. He   
lifted his head to meet the head ambassador's gaze   
once more, gray eyes gleaming in obvious   
irritation.   
  
"Then what kind of justice is there in the   
MASSACRE OF THE ENTIRE TERRAN ROYAL FAMILY?!!!"   
Kunzite roared as Toki's protests were silenced.   
Kunzite exhaled slowly, falling back into his chair   
as if he had been hit with sudden exhaustion.   
Taking off his pristine-white gloves, he began to   
scrub his face tiredly, hoping that he couldn't   
need to resort to caffeine to keep him awake.   
  
"Toki, I didn't order for the delegates to   
be taken into captivity," Kunzite stated simply,   
stretching his arms, taking a more informal tone.  
  
Endymion understood the delicate bonds that   
the moon kingdom and the Terrans shared. He was   
sure that the prince would find this act as a   
mistake and would immediately make amends to the   
moon kingdom once he found out.   
  
"Then who did?" Toki questioned,   
reverting back into his usual, professional   
demeanor. Kunzite's statement was slowly seeping   
into his consciousness, and Terran patriotism began   
to win over logic.   
  
"Endy did." Kunzite replied calmly as   
Toki gaped incredulously at him.   
  
***  
  
Writhing and tossing, Endymion clenched at   
his oversized, plump pillows, battling the pain   
within his dream world. He muttered incoherently   
in his sleep, listening to all those voices who   
were lost in the flames of the explosion.   
  
During his waking hours, officials swarmed   
him with documents, dealing with domestic and   
military situations. As an added bonus, he still   
needed to worry about his upcoming coronation.  
  
At night, he found no rest, no tranquillity.   
He was plagued with dreams, dreams of pain and   
suffering. He'd see his family again, and   
recognize their faces in his dream-hazy vision.   
However, they'd be screaming, amongst raging   
flames, fueled by the blood of innocents. Ominous   
clouds of thick, dark, billowing smoke would loom   
over the burning east wing. Not long after, there   
would be an explosion. One that felt like it had   
the strength of a supernova…  
  
His eyes fluttered open, as they did every   
night after the recurring dream. The heavy covers   
were thrown off, as if they were straining his   
breathing. Clear beads of sweat trailed down his   
face, tracing out his angular features.   
  
A soft breeze trailed in through a crevice   
through the curtains, tickling his sensitive cheek.   
Grasping the heavy drapes by his bed, he yanked   
them open, eager to meet the cool, refreshing night   
breezes.   
  
Moonlight spilled through the open drapes,   
bathing Endymion in a luminescent, silvery light.   
However, he recoiled from it, scurrying off into   
the one corner of his bed. Eyes wide in terror as   
if he had seen a ghost.   
  
All throughout the night, he sat in a fetal   
position in his favored corner. He felt more   
comfortable in the shadows, safer.   
  
Unbeknownst to him, a misting darkness seemed   
to filter through the shadowed edge of his open   
window. It entered his room silently, discreetly,   
hidden in the shadows of night. It spiraled around   
Endymion's bunched form, coiling around his limbs,   
body and mind.   
  
It hissed, speaking phrases that only he   
could hear, fueling his vengeance and blocking out   
reason.   
  
Endymion was not alone in the shadows after   
all.  
  
***  
  
"We've got two of them, and Endymion is under   
our influence, Master" Beryl reported, smiling   
wickedly. Endymion was easier to corrupt than she   
thought. "Should I do the same to our prisoners?"   
  
"No." The voice answered simply.   
  
"Wouldn't it be more to our advantage if we-"  
  
"NO!" Chaos roared, voice loud enough to   
echo through the galaxies and beyond for millennia.   
  
"But—"  
  
"Know your place in this Beryl!" Chaos   
hissed angrily. "My orders will NOT be questioned!   
You may be trusted, but *I* still hold the true   
power."   
  
"Yes master," Beryl nodded meekly. If she   
were to have Endymion by her side, she would have   
to adhere to Chaos.   
  
"Beryl, Endymion will be with you, all in due   
time. Learn to be patient. As for the corruption   
of the delegates, it is too much power for me to   
muster at the moment. We will wait, then they'll   
be ours. For now, we still need to deal with the   
generals. However, feeling as they do, that will   
be a simple task."  
  
"Yes master," Beryl complied, bowing. She   
returned to her chambers, adjacent to the ruins of   
the east wing. Grabbing a glass of dark wine, she   
trotted over to her open window. She looked out at   
her accomplishment proudly. Their plans were   
running swiftly and smoothly now. Her insatiable   
hunger for would finally be satisfied.   
  
"In due time, my love," Beryl hissed, eyeing   
the ruins with an icy gaze. "In due time…" The   
crystal glass in her grasp trembled momentarily   
before breaking into thousands of tiny, sparkling   
shards.   
  
***  
  
"Constance?" Vestia turned to her cell mate,   
scurrying through the stray piles of straw to the   
other corner of the cell like a mouse smelling   
cheese. She halted in her tracks, and peered at   
Constance's bowed, blue head. An occupied look was   
spread upon her smudged features, as if she were   
engrossed in a difficult math equation.   
  
"Hello?" Vestia chirped.   
  
No answer.   
  
"Helllooo?!" Vestia waved a dirty hand   
before Constance excitably.   
  
No answer.  
  
Blank Look.   
  
Sighing, Vestia slumped next to her friend.   
She was in one of *those* states again. Vestia   
knew that Constance often drifted off into her own   
little world of analyzing facts and figures. Her   
visits usually took a few hours, give or take.   
  
Suddenly, an idea came to Vestia, a smile   
lingering mischievously over her face. One could   
almost see the light bulb hang over her head--  
*almost*.   
  
Inhaling deeply, Vestia shouted in loudest   
voice she could muster.   
  
"Lady Constance! There's no use keeping it a   
secret! I found those racy romance novels under   
your bed!!!" Vestia reprimanded mockingly,   
attempting to replicate Queen Serenity's voice.   
  
I even got the accent right! Vestia thought   
playfully, mentally patting herself on the back.   
  
"You found them?" Constance responded   
immediately, head snapping up from her thoughts.   
Blue eyes widened, cheeks turned into an unhealthy   
shade of tomato red.   
  
"I did it!" Vestia jumped up for joy,   
flashing her signature *V*ictory sign.   
  
Constance took one glance at the beaming   
Vestia and shook her head disappointedly. A giant   
sweatdrop seemed to have made it's way to her head.  
  
"Huh? Wait—" Vestia paused, gathering her   
thoughts. She furrowed her brow in question. "You   
read romance books?" She raised an eyebrow   
quizzically.   
  
Constance gulped, blanching…   
  
Vestia prodded a finger at Constance's small   
nose. "You *do*, don't you?" She drawled, ocean   
blue gaze boring into Constance's.   
  
Gulp. "No, no, of course not!" Constance   
answered apprehensively, trying to change the   
subject. She flashed Vestia a bright smile,   
showing pearly white teeth, hoping to throw off the   
topic. "Why would *I* read anything out of science   
and ancient literature?" Her nervous laughter died   
away into darkness.   
  
"Ah-ha!" Vestia announced triumphantly.   
Rising to her feet once more to tower over the   
overwhelmed Constance. "You *do* read those!"   
  
"No I don't!" Came the sharp reply. It   
seemed that the renowned Senshi of Mercury was a   
little reluctant to admit to it, or so as Vestia   
thought.   
  
"That's okay Constance, I won't tell anyone!   
Personally, I don't understand all the fuss you're   
making—"  
  
"Me?!" Constance voiced unbelievably,   
backing away an inch. Her back met the cold, wet   
wall. The moisture seeping through the absorbable   
material of her gown. Apparently, our Senshi of   
Mercury had forgotten that she was already in the   
corner of the cell…   
  
Coughing, she smiled meekly, regaining her   
usual, cool composure. "Well," she began. "I was   
thinking about getting out of here—"  
  
"You and me both," interjected Vestia, eyeing   
her surroundings distastefully. She swore that if   
she ever met the horrible person who put them in   
here in the first place, she'd—  
  
"Vestia?" Queried Constance, dragging the   
blond from her vengeful thoughts. "And you say   
that *I* go into trances…" She shrugged and   
continued, hoping that Vestia would hear her sooner   
or later…  
  
"I'm guessing that they're not going to let   
us out anytime soon and there's no way for the   
queen to know since we're not due for another long   
range communication message for at least a week."   
  
Vestia tilted her head thoughtfully. "What   
are you saying Constance?"   
  
"I'm saying that we need to make a jail   
break," Constance responded firmly. She tapped a   
finger on her chin. "If only I had a way of   
getting out of here."   
  
"Why don't you use a scanning device?"   
  
Constance brightened visibly, eyes alight.   
"You know, that's not a bad idea. The Mercury   
computer should still be around." She said,   
raising a palm, willing her trusty computer to   
appear. Suddenly, a blue, plastic notebook   
appeared floating mechanically above her   
outstretched palm, the sigil of Mercury adorned in   
gold upon the case.   
  
"Ah ha! I knew it'd work!" Vestia   
proclaimed, finally finding a use for listening in   
mechanics class. She flashed her trademark   
*V*ictory sign once more, however, Constance   
ignored her.   
  
"Why not just send a message through your   
computer?" Suggested Vestia.  
  
Constance shook her head. "The signal isn't   
strong enough. It'd never get there…"  
  
Quick and nimble fingers pressed an   
assortment of codes and numbers into the small   
device. A small sound was made as the information   
was compiled into several different solutions.   
Constance bit her lip in concentration, creasing   
her brow.   
  
"Got it!" She announced triumphantly,   
smiling brightly. Every time she found a solution   
to a problem, an overwhelming sense of satisfaction   
would come over her—much like how endorphins rush   
through the human body after vigorous exercise.  
  
"You found a way out?" Vestia asked   
anxiously, leaning toward her. She peered at the   
numerous codes and text that appeared on the small,   
pocket-sized computer.   
  
Constance nodded excitedly in reply. Silent,   
she rose and began scanning the walls, prodding   
various stones with her outstretched finger.   
  
"I got a hold of their floor plans and   
schematics for this level. If I can find the   
correct location of the weakest area of this cell,   
we can make an escape."  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, she   
halted, finger tapping on one specific gray rock.   
  
"We need to apply an accurate dose of   
pressure here, it should knock out the foundation   
for a section of this wall. It's the keystone—but   
don't over do it."  
  
Vestia stepped forth, prodding and scratching   
at the rock with her finger tip. Nodding, she   
willed her transformation pen to appear.   
  
"Glad they didn't do anything about these,   
ne, Constance?" Vestia winked, raising the gold-  
orange pen in the air.   
  
The air around them seemed to hum with   
Vestia's power, the energy readings rising off the   
scale.   
  
"Let's hope they don't catch us too soon,"   
Constance hoped worriedly, closing her computer and   
pulling out her blue transformation pen as well.  
  
A flurry of gleaming gold hearts and   
glittering blue ribbon surrounded the two,   
surrounding their lithe forms. From the bright   
display, stepped forth the Senshi of Venus and   
Mercury.   
  
"Ready?" Venus prompted, the familiar   
determined gleam appearing in her blue depths once   
more. Mercury nodded, placing on her visor to scan   
for hostels.   
  
"What about the others?" Mercury asked,   
thinking of the other delegates that arrived with   
them earlier that week. "They're not too far. We   
need to go retrieve them."   
  
Venus nodded. "We will escape here first,   
then we'll track them down," she confirmed, taking   
on the leadership role that had been woven   
intricately into her destiny as a Senshi. She   
turned back at the stone wall, set on hitting the   
keystone. Raising a snowy white glove, a thin   
chain of interlinked golden hearts came to meet   
it's target.   
  
***  
  
Not long after the internal alarms blared   
into the hallways, awakening everyone from their   
slumber. Sleepy guards that dozed off during their   
night shift awoke, swords and staffs in hand,   
scurrying down the long corridors.   
  
When they arrived at the place where the main   
security system had reported a breach, they stood   
there in awe. The Senshi were long gone—as were   
the delegates. All that remained were several   
small fragments of smoking stones and gaping holes   
in the walls looking out into the great outdoors.   
  
***  
  
"We need to get these people out of here,"   
Mercury suggested, de-activating her visor. The   
thin, transparent strip of analyzing equipment   
disappeared from her face.   
  
"Do we have enough power to transport them?"   
Vestia turned to look over at the shivering group   
of delegates. Among them was the Ambassador from   
the moon.   
  
"This many people? No," Mercury answered   
simply. They were camped out in an abandoned   
section of what seemed to be like an old Terran   
training ground.   
  
"Hmm…we've got to think of a solution. We'll   
at least they'll never be looking for us here. Who   
would think that we'd be hiding out in the royal   
grounds. This was a good idea, Constance," Venus   
beamed. Mercury blushed at the compliment.   
  
"It'd only be a matter of time though, before   
they find us. The Terrans aren't quite to happy   
with us. Although, I don't seem to know why…" The   
Ambassador approached the two Senshi. She stood   
upon the ground firmly as the wild wind toyed and   
tangled with her unruly red locks.   
  
Mercury nodded in agreement. "She's right, I   
can't mask our tracks any longer. I'm bound to   
tire sometime and that's when I'll slip in my   
defenses."  
  
"Oh great!" Commander Venus raised her arms   
in exasperation, as if asking the sky for the   
solution to all their problems. "What do we do   
now? Options," she commanded sternly.   
  
"Well, we could teleport them—between us, we   
should be able to bring them a short distance.   
We're carrying passengers here, Venus, we can't   
return to the moon. It's too much of a strain on   
our powers," Mercury pointed out logically.   
  
"Then where do we go?" The ambassador asked,   
shifting from left foot to right. "What place   
could mask our tracks and keep us safe until the   
moon rescues us?"   
  
"Hmm…The best place we can go to would be."   
Mercury pulled out her mini-computer, typing in   
more information. Soon, several consistent muffled   
beeps sounded, the information displayed on the   
miniature screen. She turned to allow Venus and   
the ambassador a better view.   
  
There, etched in a wire-like sphere, was the   
earth. The continents appeared in a light bluish   
color. Several bright lights appeared upon the   
globe simulation, blinking erratically, indicating   
all the possible places that their transport   
powers would allow them to go.   
  
"There," Mercury pointed, indicating an   
isolated blinking blue light. "That's the place I   
suggest we head to. It's low security and there   
aren't many people there."   
  
"Where is that?" Venus piped in, staring at   
the light. The rhythmic blinking was beginning to   
hypnotize her. "Not eating well," she muttered,   
remembering the meager meals they were served daily   
at their cells.   
  
"That," Mercury informed, tucking away her   
computer in a safe place. "is the North Pole."  
  
"North pole? Sounds like a cold place,"   
commented the ambassador casually.   
  
Mercury nodded. "It is."  
  
"All right people! Gather around." Vestia   
pulled in their small band of delegates in a tiny,   
cramped bunch. "When we get to this 'North Pole',"   
she eyed Mercury wryly. "One of us is going to   
teleport alone back to the queen when we've got   
enough strength."   
  
Mercury complied as the small group   
disappeared relocated themselves once again in a   
flash of brilliant blue and yellow.   
  
The North Pole wasn't what Venus suspected.   
Even though their Senshi fukus were designed to   
give them optimum protection, they didn't do much   
for thermal protection. However, she was more   
worried about the other delegates.   
  
Their clothes had been ripped, or worn during   
their short stay in the Terran dungeons. Most of   
them didn't dress for cold weather, since the   
Terrans were experiencing their spring season—which   
was equivalent to the Lunar sprouting season. Many   
of the delegates huddled in groups, trying to   
conserve warmth.   
  
"Merc, they're no shelter in sight! What   
should we do?" Venus questioned above the howling   
wind, frost biting her exposed skin.   
  
"I've got an idea!" Replied Mercury, barely   
audible. She called forth her powers over ice,   
building a small, stodgy structure of pure ice with   
her shining aqua illusion. Quickly, the two Senshi   
pushed in the teeth-chattering delegates singly   
through a small opening fashioned in the icy   
structure.   
  
Within, the structure blocked off all   
incoming wind and the opening seemed to act as a   
natural vent. However, the delegates were still   
shivering.   
  
"Wait, let me." Venus called forth her   
power, the all-so-familiar chain of golden hearts   
appearing in her hand. She quelled their power   
down, favoring endurance over power. Coiling them   
up in a tight bunch, she placed it in the middle of   
the structure, allowing them to radiate a weak, but   
growing heat.   
  
One by one, the delegates seemed to warm, the   
bluish tinge on their lips disappearing as they   
rubbed their hands briskly over the glowing hearts.   
  
"Merc, I'm going to teleport back to the   
moon. I think I'm up to it," Venus stated clearly,   
facing an appalled Senshi of Mercury.   
  
"But, what if you don't? I can go. I don't   
feel tired," insisted Mercury. A strange cracking-  
rumbling noise echoed in the structure.   
  
"It's probably the wind," noted Venus.   
"You're going to have to keep this place in one   
piece. The delegates depend on you."   
  
"But—" interjected Mercury. It was useless   
to argue with one's commander when her mind was set   
on one course of action.   
  
"No Merc. I'll do it. Don't make me pull   
rank on you." Her eyes softened, showing concern   
and infinite friendship. "I'll be back—with help."   
  
Reluctantly, Mercury nodded, bidding her   
leader farewell. She'd take command when she was   
gone and protect the delegates as she was   
instructed to do so.   
  
"Ganbatte kudesai, Vestia. Hurry up. We'll   
need all the help we can get." Mercury returned to   
the huddled group of delegates, praying for the   
safety of her commander and friend.  
  
***  
  
"THEY AREN'T IN THEIR CELLS?!" Barked out   
Nephrite, eyes agleam with obvious agitation.   
  
The fat guard who was responsible for their   
captivity. Ironically, it was the very same one   
that had sneered and scoffed at their 'meager   
intellect'. Obviously, he underestimated them—a   
very grave mistake on his part.   
  
"How could you be such an IDIOT?!!!"   
Nephrite roared, face creasing in anger. Jadeite   
could've sworn that he saw a vein tick ever so   
slightly… He sat there, upon a large table, gazing   
at the trembling guard under a mop of blond   
tendrils. Crossing legs, he swung them childishly   
off the side of the table.   
  
Nephrite opened his mouth to scold the   
already-frightened guard more, however, his lengthy   
lecture was temporarily halted by Jadeite.  
  
"Neph, hold on, the doors knocking," Jadeite   
commented casually, rising to receive their guest.   
The door opened to present a young lady with   
striking red hair.   
  
"Good morning gentleman," Beryl greeted,   
false warmth seeping into her usual icy tone. If   
she had done her job properly, generals, or flops   
as she liked to put it, should be under the   
influence of her master.   
  
Jadeite and Nephrite bowed perfunctorily.   
Protocol demanded of these actions, however, it   
never said that they had to perform their   
courtesies with meaning. Beryl curtsied   
indifferently in response.   
  
"And who do we have here?" She turned,   
smoothing out her black satin dress. Red locks   
tumbled down to the base of her back, coming down   
in bright red, snaky locks. She was a buxom beauty   
indeed, however, everyone knew that she only shared   
contempt for the generals.   
  
"This," pointed Nephrite, "is the fool guard   
that let the delegates escape!"   
  
Beryl rose a well-defined eyebrow and tilted   
her head thoughtfully—albeit falsely. She already   
knew what happened. She also remembered her   
master's fury… "What are you going to do about   
it?"   
  
"What else are we going to do?" Jadeite   
shrugged indifferently. "The prince wanted them in   
captivity, he's going to get them. I'm going to   
make sure they stay that way until he thinks   
otherwise."  
  
Beryl couldn't help to smile an evil little   
smile. She blinked, as if ignorant of the   
situation. "I'm sure you'll get them. If you need   
any help…"   
  
Perhaps Beryl wasn't as bad as they thought   
she was, Jadeite thought.   
  
"I'm sorry, but what would you do to help   
*us*?" Nephrite was the unbelieving one… Try as   
he might, he could not see a single possible way   
that Beryl would be of assistance to them.  
  
"Oh, you don't even know the beginning of the   
power I wield," she said darkly. Shadows cast over   
her face, leaving only a pair of gleaming depths   
filled with corruption, lust and hate.   
  
"Huh? Did you say something?" Jadeite   
questioned, watching Nephrite send away the demoted   
guard. He cast a curious gaze upon Beryl.   
  
"Nothing," she replied, rising from her seat.   
With a rustle of skirts, she escorted herself to   
the door. "I must go gentlemen, but we'll talk   
again." The door closed with a soft thud.   
  
Jadeite turned to Nephrite. "We're going to   
have to tell Endy about this."   
  
Nephrite nodded. "Better tell Kunzite to   
come with us. He's usually the one that breaks   
news like this to him." He opened the door and   
gestured in mock-grandeur for Jadeite to leave   
first. Both left the room, chatting casually about   
the week's events.  
  
Abruptly after they left, a familiar presence   
entered into the room, covering the marble floor   
with a thin sheet of dark mist. Soon, it   
disappeared as soon as it arrived.  
  
***  
  
"My prince," Kunzite bowed deeply, white cape   
falling past his shoulders.   
  
"What is it?" Endymion asked, voice husky.   
  
"The delegates have escaped," he stated,   
voice frosty.   
  
"WHAT?!" Exclaimed Endymion, perking up from   
his half-asleep attitude. He grasped a brocaded   
robe and slung it over his broad shoulders. "Any   
casualties?"   
  
"Thirty-seven injured, my prince. A good   
portion of the injuries are severe. All of them   
were guards." He watched as Endymion reached for a   
jug and pour water into a crystal cup. Slowly, he   
brought it to his lips and took a long sip of the   
refreshing liquid.   
  
"More injuries?! Haven't they harmed us   
enough?!!" Demanded Prince Endymion. Although he   
wasn't really expecting an answer to his   
hypothetical question. He slammed the glass of   
water onto the table, creating another circular   
mark on the surface. The liquid within seemed to   
lurch up slightly before falling back into the   
confines of the cup.   
  
"They are nothing but an annoyance," Kunzite   
stated mildly. "We've already begun the search for   
the escaped delegates. Although, I don't think we   
should waste our resources toward this useless   
endeavor."   
  
Endymion turned to meet Kunzite's determined   
gaze. "What do you mean by that?" He asked,   
quizzical.   
  
"I think we should do the obvious. We do   
have the power and we have been more than patient   
with them," Kunzite stated simply.   
  
Endymion nodded stiffly. He didn't like this   
situation, nor did he like the consequences.   
However, he figured that it was going to be   
inevitable anyway. He would bring the Lunars to   
justice.   
  
"Fine, so be it," he said monotonously.   
"Bring all the necessary documents. It's going to   
be war."  
  
***  
Ganbatte kudesai - Don't give up!/Good luck!  
  
Arigato to Antigone who puts up with me! (and my   
terrible writing) She's the one who fixes those   
million errors in these chapters! Also to all   
those archives who post up my work! Arigato minna-  
san!   
  
Oh, a different approach this time:  
  
Questions? Comments? Flames?   
  
E-MAIL! E-MAIL! E-MAIL!  
  
Mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com  
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami  
  
mizu: ::cringes:: I agree, that wasn't the best   
thing I've ever written… Well, at least   
it's done! Boring, but—  
  
namida: you could say that again… ::mutters::  
  
mizu: my Japanese wasn't *that* bad, was it?  
  
namida: hmm…::pulls out a list:: there was   
that time when…  
  
mizu: so, I have a bad accent—  
  
namida: …and you misspell things, you leave   
out things…   
  
mizu: ::frowns:: and the list goes on…   
  
namida's e-mail:  
senshi_pluto@yahoo.com  
  
mizu's e-mail:  
tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
  
Ja!  
mizu   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: We don't own Sailormoon, Naoko   
Takeuchi does. All hail her.  
  
E-MAIL: senshi_pluto@crystal-tokyo.com  
  
EDGE OF DREAMS~BOOK I: Voiceless Song  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Edge of Dreams:  
Chapter 4: The Inevitable  
by: Namida  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
***  
  
Kouran, Senshi of Uranus and protector of   
the Silver Millennium and Solar System glared   
out into the night sky, her dark blue eyes   
glinting dangerously. Again, for the twentieth   
time that day, she cursed space travel for all   
its worth and silently added a few choice words   
to Queen Serenity herself. Space travel was *not*   
an   
enjoyable past-time of hers, especially when   
traveling towards the outer parts of the solar   
system where the goings were rough. And   
already, within the span of a week, she was   
traveling that that grueling distance again   
at Serenity's abrupt command.   
  
"Not even an explanation," Kouran   
muttered under her breath. "She drags us all   
the way to the Moon from our posts on Uranus   
and Neptune and sends us back in a blink of an   
eye without so much as a word. For a queen she   
sure has no tact," she growled in frustration   
and anger, the latter rising in her voice and  
triumphing over the former.   
  
"This coming from you of all people," was   
the mocking reply. Arianna, the supposedly   
refined and graceful Senshi of Neptune stood   
not far from Kouran with her aqua-hair gleaming   
in all its splendor, sporting a 'little more   
than annoyed' frown on her face. She sighed.   
They were just beginning their trek back to   
their guard posts and already Kouran was in a   
sour disposition. Such an event didn't usually   
occur until the fifth hour into their trip.   
Now, they were barely away from the Moon as it   
was. This was going to be a *long* trip.   
  
She rolled her eyeballs as she mused   
further into the nature of her partner's bitter   
and rough mood, which was a turn worse from   
Kouran's usual cranky state.  
  
"Look!" Kouran snapped as she pointed   
towards the space between the still visible   
Moon and Earth, bringing Arianna out of her   
thoughts.   
  
"If this is another one of you  
paranoid..." she begun before witnessing a   
bright yellow light streak from the Earth   
towards the Moon. "What was that?" Arianna   
asked her seemingly dumbfounded companion. "Do   
we set a course to return to the moon?"  
  
"I wouldn't think so" replied a tall,   
tanned figure with greenish black hair flowing   
down her back, eyes as red as rubies.   
  
***   
  
(On the Moon)  
  
"Staring at the Earth again Sere?" Eva   
asked quietly as she watched her princess's   
china-doll face turn to slowly face her.   
  
"Eva? Hai, I was just thinking about my   
trip to Earth a few weeks ago."   
  
"What about it Sere?" Eva wondered   
thoughtfully as she realized that she knew   
little to nothing of her charge's trip to the   
Earth Kingdom. Upon her return, Sere hadn't   
even gushed as she usually would have and only   
responded to their questions when prodded by   
Ceres or Vestia.   
  
"Oh, well...uhm...about someone I met   
when I wandered off by myself around the Palace   
grounds," Serenity admitted sheepishly.   
  
Eva, usually uninterested in such matters   
quirked a curious eyebrow "Do tell, Sere, do   
tell," she said in a light and amused tone, one   
completely out of character making Serenity   
slightly blush.   
  
*flashback*  
  
She looked darkly at the tall pine tree   
standing in front of her casting a large and   
imposing shadow. 'Again? That's the fifth time   
I've seen that stupid tree,' Serenity cursed to   
herself, throwing her typical princess-like   
manner to the winds. The wind answered with an   
amused breeze.   
  
'Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to   
wander off by myself' she grudgingly admitted   
to herself. 'But Luna, my wonderful jail   
guard…I mean guardian is driving me insane' she   
thought, quickly trying to rationalize her   
reasons for locking up her guardian cat in the   
closet and running off into 'unknown territory'   
unescorted. She winced, 'When Luna gets her   
paws on me, if I ever find my way back…I'm   
going to get the chewing out of a lifetime on   
protocol and duty.'  
  
"What was that?" she asked to no one in   
particular, an eerie sound coming from the   
depths of night. She pulled her head away from   
her examination of the 'evil' tree that   
represented her present dilemma of being   
completely and utterly lost. She turned her   
head this way and that desperately trying to   
find the source of the noise.   
  
"Oh no! what if Luna has escaped the   
closet and she's headed this way with a   
detachment of guards?" she fretted. As she   
neared the noise that disrupted the previously   
silent and peaceful night, she saw that it   
wasn't Luna but something much bigger. Upon   
closer inspection she realized that it was a   
wild and untamed looking horse pawing at the   
vacant sky trying to throw off its frantic   
rider.   
  
"Are you all right?" she lamely called to   
the disgruntled rider for a lack of better   
words.   
  
"What do you think?" was the muffled,   
yet harsh reply. She suddenly resisted the urge   
to glare at the rider for, here she was trying   
to offer her assistance and he was being quite   
rude! However, his was a worse predicament than   
hers and she reluctantly let the last comment   
slide.  
  
"How can I help you?" she asked the   
stranger, trying a different approach.   
  
"You can start by moving away from the horse   
before you get hurt," was the curt reply.   
  
She 'hmphed' before asking, "Well, what is   
its name?"   
  
"What do you mean what is its name?" he   
returned the question annoyed by her calm and   
apparently unruffled manner. After all, he was   
the one hanging for dear life on the back of a   
crazed beast now, wasn't he?   
  
"N-A-M-E you know, what you call it when   
you want it to come to you," she retorted,   
exasperated at his seemingly dense nature.   
  
"I am quite familiar with the word. And if   
you must know, his name is Stormlight," he ground   
out between clenched teeth suppressing an urge   
to strangle the tiny figure should he come out   
of his current situations alive.   
  
"Thank you," she replied simply as she   
walked up to the raging horse, not even slightly   
ruffled with it's seemingly wild nature.   
  
"I told you to get away!" he started.   
  
She promptly ignored him as she walked even   
closer to the horse raising her right arm slightly.   
  
"Stormlight," she soothed, her slightly   
lilting and melodic voice reaching the creatures   
ears as she reached out to touch his side gently.   
(AN: I know I'm not very realistic…but hey!) After   
a few minutes of repetition, the horse finally   
calmed down, albeit wearily.   
  
The stranger who was struggling for his   
life only minutes before could only gape at her   
as he slipped off the previously untamable   
horse.   
  
"How did you…" he began to ask but   
suddenly realized that she had begun to walk   
away. "Hey! Wait!" he shouted as he quickly   
caught up with his would-be savior and   
abruptly turned her around.   
  
Seeing her clearly for the first time, he   
gasped as midnight blue eyes were met with   
crystal blue ones. Before him, stood a   
beautiful, fragile-appearing girl with golden   
silk-like hair streaming down either side of   
her.  
  
"What is it?" she gulped, slowly turning   
around to meet the gaze of the stranger who was   
now before her instead of behind. She blinked   
as she was met with the sight of a man with a   
slight muscular build, angular features and   
piercing blue eyes. Framing his somewhat dirt   
smudged and bruised face was a curtain of   
ruffled jet black hair. "Wow, I like this   
package," she mused to herself, cheeks becoming   
flushed.   
  
His lips quirked in a small smile as he   
saw her cheeks turn bright red as she realized   
her last 'thought' was said aloud. Letting the   
last comment slide, he answered, "What's the   
hurry? I would just like to thank you."   
  
She smiled brightly at him, all traces of   
her last embarrassment forgotten. "You mean for  
saving your life? Don't worry about it, I do it   
all the time," she joked as a silvery peal of   
laughter erupted from her lips.   
  
"Yeah *that*," he said chuckling as well.   
  
"Are you all right?" she asked, trying out   
her first question again as she eyed his   
various bruises and the cuts that marred his   
civilian garb.   
  
"Yes," he said as he shrugged off his steed's   
previous run in with a thorny bush while riding   
him. "thanks to you," he added almost as an   
afterthought.   
  
She exhaled loudly not realizing that she   
had subconsciously held her breath, waiting for   
his answer. She visibly perked up when he   
quenched her fears of him being hurt.   
  
"How did you do that?" he inquired again,   
finishing the question this time.   
  
"You have to have a knack for it," she stated   
slyly while winking, her usual playful and happy-  
go-lucky manner back.   
  
With his usual cold and distant mood   
broken off by this cheerful and gorgeous   
stranger, they began to talk about this and   
that without revealing too much of their   
identities knowing that if the other should   
find out, stiff formality would come back with   
a vengeance.   
  
"Who's that?" she asked abruptly,   
breaking them out of their chatter and pointing   
at a lone figure with short blonde cropped hair   
walking towards them. "Oh, that's just my   
friend." He said relieved as he recognized the   
form of Jadeite, one of his generals and   
companions.   
  
He blinked as he turned the opposite   
direction. Rubbing his eyes, he blinked again,   
he mind not really registering what he was   
seeing. "Uhmmm…"  
  
"Yes?" she asked completely unaware to   
the reason why her companion was suddenly so   
speechless. She would soon find out.   
  
"Is it just me, or does that look like a   
really angry, psycho black cat headed our way,"   
he asked in a dubious voice.  
  
To his dismay as he watched her follow   
his finger to the alleged 'mad cat', she froze   
mid-movement, "Eeeepped", stood up quickly and   
began to run in the opposite direction far, far   
away from the 'monster'.  
  
"What was that Endy?" Jadeite questioned,   
when he finally reached his dumbfounded liege.   
  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."   
Endymion replied shaking himself out of his   
stupor.   
  
*end flashback*  
  
"So what is his name, Sere?" Eva grilled,   
not being able to resist the urge to tease her   
princess.   
  
"I don't know, Eva," Serenity admitted   
somewhat abashed.   
  
Eva gave her a funny look and quickly   
sweatdropped. (AN: -_-*) "You mean you met an   
incredibly gorgeous and handsome man, talked   
to him for more than an hour and you didn't   
even catch his name?" she gaped incredulously.   
  
Serenity managed a weak "No." before   
comprehension slowly dawned upon her features   
and she presumed a crestfallen look.   
  
"No worries Sere," Eva consoled. "If he's   
as great and amazing as you claim him to be,   
you'll meet him again for sure!" Serenity   
looked up to see her Senshi's sincere face and   
smiled brightly in return.   
  
"Wait," Eva said pondering something.   
"What did Luna do to you when she finally   
caught up with you?" she wondered not   
remembering her highness having any visible   
scratches on her upon her return to the Moon   
Kingdom.   
  
Serenity sighed and winced, thinking back   
to the time when Luna had caught up to her   
after 20 minutes of chasing.   
  
"She spent the rest of the night drilling and   
lecturing me on duty, protocol and making me feel   
generally guilty for wanting to have some free time   
to myself. In fact, that's why I wasn't allowed to   
meet Prince Endymion of Earth the next day."   
  
Eva looked at her childhood friend with   
sympathy in her eyes. "Yeah, I know, Luna can   
be long winded at times."   
  
"That's the understatement of the   
millennium, Eva" Serenity and Eva both shared a   
giggle before being interrupted by a bright   
flash of yellow light.  
  
"What the?" Eva started before being   
dragged off to the courtyard by Serenity, in   
the direction where the flash of light had   
seemingly landed.   
  
***   
  
(Earth)  
  
The white-haired, high general known as   
Kunzite looked at his three generals sternly.   
"Have you been able to determine the location   
of their whereabouts?" he asked gruffly.   
  
"Yes sir," the auburn-haired Nephrite   
replied. "There whereabouts seem to point to   
the North Pole," he said somewhat baffled.   
  
"How's they get there?" Jadeite queried, once   
again pushing his blonde hair out of his eyes.  
  
"Beats me," the other blonde general   
shrugged. "But if the legends are true than we   
must assume that the legendary Senshi of the   
Silver Millennium have such powers that can   
very well rival our own."   
  
"That's a nice theory and all Zoicite,   
but are we sure that they're in the North Pole.   
I mean it would be nice to make sure before we   
go off trekking to the middle of no where and   
freezing our butts off" Jadeite said unsure.  
  
"Actually, we are," Nephrite added before   
Zoicite had the chance to jump in and defend   
his theory. "About the time that the prisoners   
escaped, a massive energy fluctuation was   
detected in the North Pole. It energy signature   
is very close to our own when we teleport."   
  
Before Jadeite was able to say anything   
edge wise or complain about their obvious   
future journey to the cold, cold reaches of the   
north, Kunzite shot him a dark look.   
  
"Then its settled, we'll be teleporting to   
the North Pole," he commanded sternly stopping any   
voices of rejection. "For our prince and kingdom,"   
they said in unison, a dark glint in each of   
their eyes.  
  
***  
  
Beryl smiled wickedly to herself.   
"Everything is going accordingly master…"   
  
***  
  
Mercury sat in her make shift ice shelter   
furiously typing away at her computer,   
oblivious to all around her except for the soft   
pings her computer made. "I've got it!" she   
cried triumphantly, startling the surrounding   
ambassadors around her.   
  
"What Senshi Mercury? Have you found a way to   
get us back home?" the Lunarian Ambassador managed   
to squeeze through chattering teeth, the same hope   
returning into her eyes that left with Senshi Venus   
on her return to the Moon.   
  
"If my computer is right, and it always   
is…" Mercury began proudly, "then not far from   
here a military base has been detected. Which   
means that we we'll be able to return to the   
moon aboard on of their space vessels" she   
announced to the delight of the others.   
  
"Can you manage to teleport all of us by   
yourself in your current condition?" one of   
ambassadors voiced worriedly.   
  
"No, I don't think so, however, its only   
a mile away and we should be able to reach it   
before what passes as night up here comes" the   
Senshi of ice confidently replied.   
  
"Then lets get cracking," the Lunarian   
Ambassador said as she made her way out of the   
tiny, yet somehow warm ice shelter. Upon   
exiting, she was greeted with a strong gust of   
wind that threatened to knock her back in.   
"This is going to be harder than I thought,"   
she muttered under her breath, along with a   
variety of colorful words. Let's just say that   
their 'internship' in the Mars barracks were *very*   
educational…   
  
After about an hour of struggling through   
the knee deep snow, they finally reached the   
military base when Mercury's computer started   
to beep wildly.   
  
"What is that?" the surprised Venusian   
ambassador shouted before the howling winds could   
snatch away her words.   
  
"My computer detects a massive   
fluctuation near us, presumably that of a   
teleportation signal very similar to my own."   
She sighed unsure if she would be able to live   
through her next decision. "You have to get to   
the space vessel now!" she said in her best   
imitation of Venus' commander voice.   
  
"What do you mean? What about you   
Mercury? We can't just leave you. Besides, we   
won't even be able to bypass their security   
system without your aid. And what exactly will   
you be able to accomplish by staying here all   
by yourself," the troubled ambassador asked   
the Senshi that was his namesake.  
  
"I mean that this is your only chance to   
get back to the Moon and warn the others," she   
said wearily. "I believe that the energy   
signatures that were detected are that of Crown   
Prince Endymion's personal guards; his   
legendary generals."  
  
"Again, what use will you be here, at   
this distance from the vessel and all by   
yourself? And who of us can pilot?" the   
Venusian ambassador pressed.   
  
"From this vantage point, I should be   
able to bypass the security systems and   
scramble the communications in this area so   
that they will not be able to call aid until   
you have left the atmosphere—in other words, I've   
cleared the way for you," she answered calmly,   
showing no signs that her usual patience was   
beginning to snap. After all, even the hardest of   
ice will crack when its thrown too hard.   
  
"As for piloting, I believe that the   
Mercurian and Lunarian ambassadors are well   
versed," she pointed out, making said   
ambassadors slightly flush because they had   
apparently forgot in the panic. "And as for me   
staying here by myself, I'll be able to   
distract the Generals from reaching you."   
  
Before anyone of them could argue with   
her, she quickly added "It's better having me left   
behind than all of us together!" as she directed   
them towards the vessel and quickly briefing them   
on the base's internal structure.  
  
She watched quietly as the figures of the   
various ambassadors disappeared in the   
distance. She fought back tears of hopelessness   
before turning back to her hand held computer,   
typing mindlessly in a motion. It was a good   
thing that she was trained to hack in to high-  
grade security systems, be they technological   
or magic based.   
  
Without a second thought she cracked the   
code and was in. Putting the mind she was so   
often teased for, to work, she began to bypass   
the bases' security system, shutting down a   
good chunk of it. In her opinion it was measly   
at best, yet to the casual observer, such a   
system would have been classified as maximum   
security; it was home to a space ship after   
all.   
  
She sighed in relief as she finished   
scrambling the communications in the area and   
watched silently as an object, vaguely   
resembling one of the Moon's space ships began   
to launch into the sky. She smiled triumphantly   
but stopped abruptly, realizing that four   
figures were running towards her cursing.  
  
She silently began to calm herself,   
before she heard a "Who goes there?" rudely   
shot at her. She watched as the hands of the   
approaching figures began to glow a variety of   
dark colors and cursed to herself. 'Maybe I   
can catch them off guard,' she thought dryly to   
herself. 'Guess I'll never know if I don't try.   
Here goes!'   
  
***  
  
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!!!!" was all they   
heard before they were bombarded with numerous   
ice-cold water currents, making the four   
generals freeze even more, if that were   
possible.   
  
Before they could recover from their   
attack, a "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION" impacted with   
those who didn't have time to put up a shield   
in the split second since the last attack;   
namely Jadeite and Zoicite.   
  
Kunzite growled as a dark blue light shot   
out of his hand at their mysterious stranger,   
whom he assumed was the Senshi Mercury judging   
from her shouted attacks. He was rewarded with   
a muffled gasp as his attack connected with her   
left shoulder. He began to charge his next   
attack and watched as her eyes widened at her   
realization that his next *would* be fatal.   
  
Before he could fire, the words "SHABON   
SPRAY!!!" for from her lips. 'What kind of   
attack is this?' he thought to himself smugly   
when he noticed nothing was happening.  
  
Unbeknownst to him or the others, thin   
mists began to envelope around them until it   
became a dense fog so that none of them were   
able to see anything past a foot away from   
them. Zoicite muttered a few words while he   
heard another shouted command. "MERCURY   
TELEPORT!!!"  
  
***  
  
Mercury screamed in pain as she tried to   
find shelter. In a last ditch effort, she had   
shouted a "MERCURY TELEPORT!!!" hoping that she   
would be able to get back to the reasonable   
warmth and security that the moon could and   
usually did provide for her.  
  
However, instead of being greeted by   
silver-lined landscapes, she was welcomed to   
more snow instead. 'Oh great,' she thought,   
'the great Senshi of Ice being frozen to   
death.' Being the Senshi of Ice, she did show   
tolerance to the cold as Mars did to fire but   
there was only so much that she could handle.   
  
"I hope Princess Serenity will be safe,"   
was her last thought as she wearily collapsed   
in front of a snow-covered doorstep.  
  
***  
  
Queen Serenity visibly started as a flash   
of bright light crashed into her courtyard.   
Before this, she had been discussing with her   
advisors, Luna and Artemis about the current   
situation on the Earth and the position the   
Moon Kingdom should take as well as the lack of   
communication between the delegates sent to   
Earth and themselves.  
  
As the spots cleared from their vision,   
Serenity turned to see the source of the light,   
just in time to see her daughter run into the   
court yard and shout, "VESTIA!!!!"  
  
Vestia weakly looked up at her princess,   
"I am glad you are okay, hime," she croaked   
weakly using another one of her princess'   
nicknames to try and reassure her.   
  
"Venus, Commander of the Senshi and   
Protector of the Princess I charge you to speak   
of what has occurred during your stay on   
Earth." Serenity stated formally and regally,   
there was an audience after all; her entire   
court.  
  
Vestia raised her head slowly, using so   
much effort as it seemed if she were trying to   
move a ten-ton brick. Slowly rising, with the   
assistance of the now transformed Senshi of   
Mars, who had also ran in the princess, she was   
able to look Queen Serenity in the eye before   
announcing the dreadful news she held within   
her heart.  
  
She begun forming the words from her   
lips, her usually happy and cheerful voice   
filled with sorrow and pain. "Upon our arrival   
to Earth," she shuddered, "we were taken into   
custody by Crown Prince Endymion's generals and   
thrown into the dungeon."  
  
Queen Serenity stared in horror at the   
crumpled figure before her as Venus continued   
with her tale. "We were accused of killing   
countless innocents, primarily, the Prince   
Endymion's extended family as well as whoever   
else they needed to blame us for. They claimed   
that they had irrefutable evidence against the   
moon for committing treacherous act."   
  
Vestia took a long shuddering breath as   
she went on, noticing that every eye was on her   
and they were hanging on her every words. "When   
finally we were able to escape, Mercury and I   
teleported to the North Pole, where we thought   
would be most hidden from them. After that   
Mercury was able to create a small structure   
out of ice for the ambassadors and ourselves   
and I was able to keep up warm with a link of   
my golden hearts."   
  
At this point, Vestia fought back tears.   
"I told them that I would teleport back to   
report to you and get aid. So here I am and   
they're still on Earth alone and distraught.   
Please save them my Queen," was all she could   
manage before she passed out into Mars' arms.  
  
"Majesty," Luna said urgently, "such an   
act could be war and the beginning of the end   
of the Silver Millennium as we know it."  
  
Several gasps echoed around them, coming from   
the many observers. Distraught phrases containing   
the words, "war" and "no" were clearly evident in   
their worried conversations.   
  
"Luna," the queen stated, voice full of   
steel and with a metallic glint in her eye, "If   
war is what they desire, then it is exactly   
what they are going to get."  
  
***  
  
End Chapter 4  
  
Again, to recap the names for you:  
  
Past name – Future name – Planet  
  
Serenity – Tsukino Usagi – Moon  
Constance - Mizuno Ami - Mercury  
Eva - Hino Rei - Mars  
Ceres- Kino Makoto - Jupiter  
Vestia - Aino Minako - Venus  
Endymion - Chiba Mamoru - Earth  
  
Kouran – Tenou Haruka - Uranus  
Arianna - Kaiou Michiru - Neptune  
(Not yet mentioned but for future reference)  
Reina – Tomoe Hotaru - Saturn  
Aeris – Meiou Setsuna – Pluto  
  
*A BIG THANK YOU!!! Goes out to Antigone for   
her editing. Free thank you's and hugs (if you   
want one) go to Patch, Eternal Angel, Meredith,   
Aimee, Angela, Kawaiiluv, J Pappillons, Usagi and   
Rachel for their support!!!! DOUMO!!!!!*  
  
Makes sense to you? No? Either way… Questions.   
Comments, yes, even flames are welcome!  
  
(::mizu looks up:: I would've just said, E-MAIL!   
E-MAIL! E-MAIL! Onegai?!)  
  
==========================  
For general questions, comments   
for BOTH authors:  
e-mail: mizuno_kagami@yahoo.com  
  
For me, Namida:  
e-mail: senshi_pluto@crystal-tokyo.com  
  
For my co-author mizu:  
e-mail: tokiya_ensui@yahoo.com  
URL: www.geocities.com/mizuno_kagami   
===========================  
  
Namida: YAY!! Another chapter done!!!!   
Wheeee!!! Sorry, took me long enough, ne?  
*quirks eyebrow* yes, yes…stop giving me dirty   
looks mizu :P  
  
Mizu: Who? Me? Innocent me? I would never do   
such a thing ?  
  
Namida: Suuuuure… Anyways hope ya had fun!   
Mizu, who doesn't enjoy my lateness as much as  
I know you readers do will probably get out the   
next chapter sooner! In fact…you should thank   
her for prodding me with her trusty stick or   
you wouldn't be reading my mindless jabber   
right now. :P  
  
Mizu: Sure, share all my secrets why don't you?   
-_-*  
  
Namida: Anyways, have fun, seeya next time…and   
remember to WRITE…come one…pleeeaaase..you know   
you want to…*nods*   
  
Doumo minna-san for putting up with us ?, ja   
ne! Feedback is WELCOME  
  
(mizu: feedback is VEEERRRY WELCOME ^^;;)  
  
-~Namida~   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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